The Best Chicken Pesto Pasta #chickenrecipes #pasta

This Chicken Pesto Pasta in Creamy White Wine Sauce is a family favorite pasta recipe! This easy pasta dish is full of savory flavors and a delicious, creamy, white wine sauce that’s ready in under 30 minutes! It is so delicious with flavors of basil, thyme and oregano and so easy to make!

This easy pasta dish is all about savory pesto white wine sauce tossed with perfectly cooked chicken and mushrooms. Seasoning is very important here. Even though the recipe calls for Italian seasoning, but I also like to use Sicilian seasoning. The major difference between the two s is the presence of red pepper flakes and roasted garlic in the Sicilian seasoning. That’s why red pepper flakes and garlic are added in the recipe. But if you do have Sicilian seasoning, just use that..

WHAT KIND OF WINE TO USE IN THIS PESTO CHICKEN PASTA?
I used Pinot Grigio, which is a dry white wine. Other white wines, such as Riesling or Chardonnay, will be good here too. Made with white wine, butter and olive oil, this delicious Chicken and Mushroom Pasta brings out the best flavors out of chicken and mushrooms. Perfect for busy weeknights!

WHAT KIND OF PASTA TO USE?
I love using long ribbon pasta with pesto dishes. Good choices are fettuccine, linguine, pappardelle or tagliatelle. In my opinion it’s easier to make this Pesto Chicken Pasta look good when using long ribbon pasta. Even though penne might be a good choice as well.

You’ll Need:

Main Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
• 2 tablespoon butter (divided)
• 1 lb boneless, skinless thin chicken breasts, or tenders (cut up in 1 inch chunks)
• 10 oz white mushrooms (thickly sliced)
• 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
• salt and pepper

Pesto White Wine Sauce:

• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning (thyme, oregano, basil - combined)
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup sodium free chicken broth (adjust salt if not sodium free)
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup (4 oz.) basil pesto
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• chopped fresh basil (for garnish)

Pasta:

• 10 oz fettuccine pasta

Instructions:

Cooking chicken:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken chunks to the hot skillet, generously season them with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning right in the skillet and cook for about 4 minutes on one side, flip once and cook for 2 additional minutes on the other side.
2. In order to not overcrowd the pan I cooked chicken in 2 rounds (this avoids overs-teaming it and ensures proper browning). Because the pan will be hotter on the second round, reduce cooking time for chicken to 2 minutes per side. Add a splash of olive oil to the second round of cooking chicken. Remove cooked chicken from skillet after each round.

Cooking mushrooms:

1. Add second tablespoon of olive oil and second tablespoon of butter to the now empty skillet. Once the pan is hot, add sliced mushrooms, generously season them with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning right in the skillet.
2. Cook the mushrooms on medium high heat without flipping for 2-3 minutes until mushrooms release liquid and get soft. Pressing down with spatula will speed up the process. Flip to the other side and cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove mushrooms from skillet.

Pesto White Wine Parmesan Sauce:

1. Add minced garlic to the now empty skillet and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Add 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1/2 cup wine and cook on medium for 2 minutes to reduce wine.
3. Now add 1/2 cup basil pesto and 1/2 cup chicken broth. On medium heat, mix everything to combine. Continue cooking for 3-4 minutes until the sauce reduces.
4. Reduce the heat and add salt and 1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan. Slowly mix it in until it's evenly incorporated with the sauce. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Pasta:

1. In the meantime bring a large pot of salty water to boil, add pasta and cook it according to instructions.
2. Drain the pasta, but do not rinse.
3. Putting it all together:
4. Add pasta to the skillet with the sauce, and stir until pasta is fully coated in sauce.
5. Add chicken and mushrooms. Mix with pasta and sauce. Taste and season with more salt if necessary.
6. Garnish with fresh basil.