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Chicken and Red Pesto Pasta

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This is one of my, 'Oh flippin heck, I need something quick and easy to make for lunches' and is as delicious as it's easy.

 

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 yellow pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 courgette, finely chopped
  • 250g (9oz) pasta
  • 250g (9oz) cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • 150g (5oz) cooked chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
  • ½ jar (about 100g (4oz)) red pesto, I used Waitrose Roasted Red Pepper & Almond Pesto this time
  • 1 x 400g (1lb) tin of chopped tomatoes with herbs
  • a small handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pan and add the chopped onion, yellow pepper and courgette. Stir to get fully coated in the oil and gently fry until the vegetables are soft.
  2. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions until just soft. Scoop out some of the pasta water (about a cup) and then drain the cooked pasta.
  3. Tip the pasta, cherry tomatoes, cooked chicken, red pesto and the tin of chopped tomatoes into the cooked vegetables and mix gently but well. Add a little of the pasta water to create a smooth, silky sauce.
  4. Taste for seasoning and sprinkle with some chopped parsley.
  5. Enjoy this dish hot or at room temperature.

Notes

This recipe is absolutely a framework. It uses lots of store cupboard and freezer essentials (including red pesto in a jar) and nothing about it is set in stone. Play around with it and make the dish your own according to what you like and what you have in the kitchen

Keywords: quick, store cupboard, packed lunch

Find it online: https://marmaladeandme.com/chicken-and-red-pesto-pasta/