Easy Pesto Chicken Pasta Skillet
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Fantastic right from the skillet, or cold and served as a pasta salad, this pesto chicken pasta skillet with asparagus and tomatoes is everything that is delicious about summer!
Dish Count :: 1 Pot, 1 Skillet
Well this is a switch from the usual baked goods on Wednesdays! I know! And there is a very good explanation for that!
One, I haven’t been in the kitchen much these last couple of weeks. And the other is that if it’s around – I will eat it. There is no baked good that could escape me once I have it in my sights.
So we have had to make a switch and this pesto chicken pasta skillet is IT. But thankfully there are still PLENTY of summery baked goods to share with you now that I have back logged a few. And the Tater Tot Updates are coming. Because you guys – he’s getting YUGE.
There has been a very rapid switch in my diet with the latest diagnosis of gestational diabetes. Thankfully, it is considered a mild case, but nonetheless a shock to my system and my emotions. And my hormones have not exactly been helpful in helping me manage the whole thing when at any moment a bad blood sugar test will send me in a sniffle fit. So as I try and find my new normal for the next few months – and to be honestly, beyond Tater Tot’s Eviction Day – I wanted to share this recipe with you this week. In the throws of summer veggie season, I have been trying to make the most of it, and our tomatoes are finally producing. My mom’s little tomato starts have officially exploded and the tomato babies are starting to get big and ripen. Just like me. I’m about to burst.
If you have an abundance of tomatoes, or are craving greens, this pesto chicken pasta skillet with asparagus and tomatoes is for you.
Ben and I had this pesto chicken pasta skillet warm, straight from the skillet and then we ate it cold as leftover pasta salad for a couple days after that! Really, there is no bad way to consume this!
Since I’m on a carb lock down now, I have to be strategic about how I consume them. The staple pasta in our house is Barilla’s Protein Plus pasta. Now, this is NOT an ad. But it is what we eat in the house all the time. And even when cooked, it still has enough tooth to it to not fall to pieces and be mushy.
So, we’re trying to find our new normal. And Ben has been nothing but supportive. Being a nurse, and a good husband, is really helping me figure this whole thing out. And his hugs never hurt.
And PS – Tater Tot is doing great. My insides bouncing around like there is a rubber ball being thrown against a wall is testament to that! Keep up to date on IG Stories for today’s BumpDate!
Ingredients for Easy Pesto Chicken Pasta Skillet
- Chicken Breast
- Salt and Pepper
- Olive Oil
- Asparagus
- Garlic
- Fresh Cherry Tomatoes,
- Shredded Parmesan
- Pesto
- High Protein Whole Wheat Penne Pasta
If you need additional ideas for pasta dishes or to use those veggies, here you go!
Whole 30 Compliant Beef and Green Beans
More Chicken Pesto Inspired Recipes
Roasted Tomato Cucumber Pesto Sandwich
Roasted Red Pepper Pesto Stuffed Artichokes
Print
Easy Pesto Chicken Pasta Skillet
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 15 Minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 – 1 1/4 pound Chicken Breast, cubed
- Salt and Pepper
- 3 Tbsp Olive Oil, divided
- 1 pound Fresh Asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1″ pieces
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 1/2 cups Fresh Cherry Tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1/2 cup Shredded Parmesan
- 1/2 cup Pesto
- 1 pound High Protein Whole Wheat Penne Pasta, cooked according to directions
Instructions
Prepare pasta according to package directions in heavily salted water. Drain and set aside.
Season chicken cubes with salt and pepper. Heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Saute the chicken until it is golden brown on all sides, and cooked through. Set aside on a plate.
With remaining tablespoon of olive oil, heat it in the same skillet. No need to clean the pan. Add in trimmed asparagus and saute with garlic until it is fork tender.
In a large bowl, or if you can do it all in the skillet, combine all the ingredients – chicken, tomatoes, pesto, pasta, parmesan cheese, and cooked asparagus together and toss to combine. Serve immediately or place in the fridge and chill to serve as a pasta salad.
I love how this works hot or cold. Either way, it’s the perfect summer dish!
This looks SO good…great summer dinner! Try not to stress too much about the gestational diabetes for duration of your pregnancy. It sounds as if you are on top of things and making necessary modifications to your diet as well as checking your blood sugar regularly. That is great!I had GD with both of my pregnancies. Following the diet and walking a ton actually helped me feel great up until delivery, made (I think) for easier deliveries and certainly kept weight gain to a minimum! 🙂 Both of my daughters were perfectly healthy! Sending good thoughts!
Your recipe looks delicious. Will definitely try! I also had gestational diabetes. After my son was born it went away. But sometimes it can be a precursor to adult type 2 diabetes so please be careful. I did develop it in my early 50’s because I had it when I was pregnant. It does also run in my family. Good luck with your pregnancy. 😊
You had me at pesto! I could literally eat this forever and ever the end!
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Which pesto would you recommend?
You can use any pesto you choose. I prefer a fresh pesto, which you can get from your grocer’s coolers, near the fresh packaged pasta section. But if you have jarred that is just fine! Because I love pesto in any form!
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Made this tonight and it was delicious! I sauteed the tomatoes with the asparagus with some garlic and red pepper flakes…then tossed it all together at the end. Definitely making again!
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It was great and my family loved it. I would say that nutritional value would’ve been helpful as I have son with diabetes and needs to know carb count.
Hi Louann, I’m so so pleased that you and your whole family liked this recipe. I hesitate to provide nutritional content, because so many brands and varieties of products vary in carb and calorie count. I know there are so many types of pasta that are more friendly to diabetics and wouldn’t want to assume people’s preferences or anything, so I usually leave the info off my recipes, not to hide from the calories, but to not misrepresent possible options for readers and what they need best for their diets. There are a lot of online resources that can do those calculations so I prefer to let people rely on those themselves. I hope that is helpful. Best, Megan
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