Basil chicken spaghetti – Deeply flavoured dish

Add a delicious flavour to your pasta dishes with this basil chicken spaghetti. Whether you are cooking for the family or having guests over, this dish will satisfy everyone sitting at your table.

The combination of basil, garlic, pine nuts and parmesan cheese with chicken transforms an otherwise ordinary pasta dish into an exquisite one. It is loaded with so much flavour that everyone will give in to the temptation to dish up a second portion. So make sure you prepare enough!

This recipe serves two people. You can adjust the quantities according to the number of people you need to serve. But remember that this dish is really packed with delicious aromatic flavours that it is better to prepare a little bit more than necessary. And in the unlikely event that you have some leftovers, you can safely store this basil chicken spaghetti in the fridge for the following day.

Preparing this dish will not even take up to an hour. So, it is the perfectly cost-effective and time-saving midweek dish. Let us know in the comments of this recipe if you have tried it out.

Basil chicken spaghetti recipe

5 from 1 vote

Recipe by Msi Muzi Mathebula Course: MainCuisine: GlobalDifficulty: Easy

Servings

2

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Total time

40

minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups 2 lightly packed fresh basil leaves

• 2 cloves 2 garlic, peeled and crushed

• ½ cup ½ finely grated parmesan

• 2 tablespoons 2 pine nuts

• ⅓ cup ⅓ light extra virgin olive oil

• For the spaghetti

• 250 g 250 dried spaghetti

• 2 teaspoons 2 vegetable oil

• 500 g 500 large chicken breast

• ½ teaspoon ½ salt

• ¼ teaspoon ¼ pepper

Method

• Bring a large pot filled with about 4 litres (4 quarts) of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of salt. You can start the chicken while this is happening.
• Once the water is boiling, add the spaghetti and push it down into the boiling water. Cook according to packet instructions until al dente. Remove ½ cup of pasta water and set aside, then drain the pasta and place in a large bowl.
• Cut the chicken breast in half (through the thickness of it) then fold it out so you have two thinner fillets. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
• Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat then add the chicken and cook 6 – 8 minutes on each side until golden and just cooked through.
• Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces.
• Place the drained pasta into a large bowl. Add the chicken, most of the pesto and 2 – 3 tablespoons of pasta water. Use tongs to toss together well.
• Taste and add salt and pepper if needed and serve.

Notes

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