Description
Chicken & Vegetable Penne with Parsley-Walnut Pesto is a hearty, colorful pasta dish featuring tender chicken, sautéed vegetables, and penne tossed in a vibrant and nutty parsley-walnut pesto sauce — a fresh take on a classic comfort meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 oz penne pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 zucchini, sliced
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
- For the parsley-walnut pesto:
- 1 cup fresh parsley leaves, packed
- 1/3 cup walnuts
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook penne pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, make the pesto: In a food processor, combine parsley, walnuts, garlic, Parmesan, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pulse until finely chopped. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil until smooth. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook until golden and cooked through, about 6–7 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- In the same skillet, sauté broccoli, bell pepper, and zucchini until tender-crisp, about 5–6 minutes.
- Return chicken to the skillet, then add cooked penne and toss everything together.
- Stir in the parsley-walnut pesto and toss until evenly coated. Warm through for 2–3 minutes.
- Serve warm, topped with additional Parmesan if desired.
Notes
- You can substitute parsley with a mix of parsley and basil for a more traditional pesto flavor.
- Use rotisserie chicken to save time.
- This dish is also great served cold as a pasta salad.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 portion
- Calories: 560
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 280mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
Keywords: chicken penne, parsley walnut pesto, healthy pasta recipe, vegetable penne, quick chicken dinner