Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

½ pound Penne pasta (about 2 1/2 cups dry (half of a one pound box)

1 tablespoon Olive oil

2 Garlic cloves (minced)

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 pound Boneless skinless chicken breast (cut into bite-sized chunks)

Salt and pepper (to taste)

2 tablespoons Butter

3 tablespoons All-purpose flour

1 cup Chicken broth

1 cup Half and half (or all milk/cream)

½ cup Freshly grated Parmesan

1 cup Freshly shredded Mozzarella

½ cup Basil pesto (or more, to taste)

Fresh basil (for garnish, if desired)

Directions

Boil pasta to al dente according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and olive oil, then add minced garlic, italian seasoning and diced chicken breast. Season with salt and pepper and cook until chicken is no longer pink, stirring chicken a couple of times to brown on all sides. Transfer chicken to a plate and discard any liquid in the skillet.

Return skillet to the stove over medium heat and melt butter. Whisk in the flour and cook until golden, about 3 minutes.

Whisk in chicken broth and half & half and bring to a boil. If it begins to boil too rapidly, turn the heat down a little. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickened.

Remove from heat and stir in pesto and cheeses. Add the pasta and chicken and stir to coat. **I recommend adding the cheese in small increments and mixing well with each addition, to avoid the mozzarella seizing and sticking together.

Garnish with fresh chopped basil and fresh cracked black pepper and serve immediately.

Nutrition

• Calories: 784 kcal
• Total Fat: 41 g
• Saturated Fat: 17 g
• Cholesterol: 146 mg
• Sodium: 1082 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 54 g
• Dietary Fiber: 3 g
• Total Sugars: 3 g
• Protein: 47 g