The bright, fresh flavors of basil and tomato in this skillet pesto chicken remind me of long summer days, frosty glasses of herbal tea, and relaxation. This chicken pesto pasta is a one-skillet meal, which means fewer dishes to clean up (yay!) and more time to sit around and talk about what we’re thankful for around the table.
In place of traditional pasta, I use julienned zucchini as our noodles – it’s a great way to incorporate extra veggies into my family’s diet and my kids love them. A mandoline slicer like this one makes nice, thick noodles – which are best in this recipe – as does this spiralizer. However, you don’t need either of them to make this recipe – all it takes is a good knife and a few minutes to slice the zucchini into strips by hand.
Looking for more ways to use zucchini?
Every summer the zucchini take over my garden, so I’ve had to come up with a lot of ways to use it. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Mediterranean Zucchini Pasta With Basil, Sundried Tomatoes and Parmesan
- Zucchini Pizza Crust
- Zucchini Pasta Carbonara
Skillet Pesto Chicken With Zucchini Pasta
Equipment
- mandoline
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil or ghee
- 1 ½ lbs chicken breast (sliced into thin strips)
- ½ cup sundried tomatoes in olive oil (diced)
- 1 pound zucchini (julienned)
- ½ cup homemade pesto (I use this recipe)
- ½ cup fresh cherry tomatoes (halved)
- ¼ cup Parmesan-Reggiano cheese (optional)
- sea salt (how much you need will depend on whether or not you include the cheese and your personal preference)
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil/ghee in a large pan over medium heat. Add in the chicken and zucchini and cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- When the chicken is fully cooked, add in the tomatoes and sautee for another 1-2 minutes.
- Remove the pan from heat and stir in the pesto, making sure the chicken and veggies are evenly coated. Sprinkle with cheese if desired, taste and add salt if needed, then serve.
