Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta

Ingredients

• Penne pasta

  Ragu

  8 oz or 227g

• Olive oil

  1 tbsp or 14g

• Garlic

  raw

  2 cloves, minced or 6g

• Italian seasoning

  1 tsp or 4g

• Chicken breast

  raw, skinless

  1 lb or 454g

• Salt

  table

  1 dash or 0.4g

• Black pepper

  ground

  1 dash or 0.1g

• Butter

  unsalted

  2 tbsp or 28g

• Whole wheat flour

  whole-grain

  3 tbsp or 23g

• Chicken broth

  canned, reduced sodium

  1 cup or 240g

• Walnuts

  raw, halves and pieces, Trader Joe’s

  1 cup or 112g

• Parmesan cheese

  grated

  ½ cup or 50g

• Mozzarella cheese

  part-skim

  1 cup, shredded or 112g

• Basil pesto

  Classico brand, ready-to-serve

  ½ cup or 124g

• Basil

  100g

Directions

1. Boil pasta to al dente according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and 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.
3. Return skillet to the stove over medium heat and melt butter. Whisk in the flour and cook until golden, about 3 minutes.
4. 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.
5. Remove from heat and stir in pesto and cheeses. Add the pasta and chicken and stir to coat. Garnish with fresh chopped basil and fresh cracked black pepper.
6. Recipe by: Kristin Maxwell (source: https://www.yellowblissroad.com/creamy-chicken-pesto-pasta/)