19-Minute Pesto Chicken Pasta

Fast-cooking rotini, thin chicken, frozen peas, and prepared pesto make a bright weeknight dinner with only a pasta pot and skillet to wash.

19 min

4 servings

Pesto-coated rotini with sliced chicken, green peas, cherry tomatoes, Parmesan, and lemon zest in a shallow bowl.

Ingredients

10 oz rotini pasta

1 lb thinly sliced chicken breast

1/3 cup prepared basil pesto

10 oz frozen peas

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus more to serve

1 lemon

1 tsp kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water

1/4 tsp black pepper

Equipment

Large pot · Large skillet · Colander · Measuring cup · Tongs or wooden spoon

Use the pasta water

The starchy water stretches prepared pesto into a silky, light coating, so there is no need to add extra oil.

Keep tomatoes fresh

Fold in the cherry tomatoes at the end so their juicy pop and brightness balance the warm pesto.

Set up the water and chicken

01. Bring a large pot of salted water to a full boil while halving the tomatoes and preparing the lemon; doing this first keeps the whole dinner moving.

02. Season the thin chicken on both sides with salt and pepper so it can brown quickly and flavor the finished pasta.

Cook in parallel

03. Cook rotini until nearly al dente, stirring once or twice so the spirals do not stick together.

04. Sear chicken in a hot skillet in one layer, turning once; pull it when the thickest piece reaches 165 F.

Use the pasta pot efficiently

05. Drop frozen peas straight into the pasta pot for the final 2 minutes, which warms them without another pan or extra prep.

06. Reserve 1 cup of cloudy pasta water before draining the rotini and peas together; the starch will help the pesto emulsify.

Sauce, toss, and serve

07. With the skillet off heat, stir pesto, 1/2 cup pasta water, lemon, Parmesan, and chicken until the sauce looks glossy rather than oily.

08. Toss in rotini, peas, and fresh tomatoes, adding more reserved water only as needed; finish with Parmesan while the pasta is hot.