Equipment
Ingredients
Pan-Fried Chicken
- 600 g chicken breast, boneless, skinless
- 15 ml olive oil
- 5 g salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
- 3 g garlic powder
Pasta
- 400 g dried fusilli pasta
Pea Pesto
- 250 g frozen peas, thawed
- 30 g fresh basil, leaves only, packed
- 50 g parmesan cheese, grated
- 40 g pine nuts, lightly toasted
- 1 garlic, peeled
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 3 g salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 967 kcal
- Protein
- 54 g
- Carbohydrates
- 87 g
- Fat
- 44 g
- Fiber
- 7 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 1093 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 9 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 22 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 9 g
- Cholesterol
- 105 mg
- Potassium
- 766 mg
- Calcium
- 219 mg
- Iron
- 6.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 144 mg
- Phosphorus
- 655 mg
- Zinc
- 4.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 146 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 14 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.7 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 4.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 66 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.7 mcg
- Thiamin
- 1.19 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.67 mg
- Niacin
- 23.7 mg
- Folate
- 287 mcg
- Water
- 179 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the dried fusilli and cook according to package directions until al dente, usually about 10 to 12 minutes.
While the pasta cooks, prepare the chicken. Ensure separate cutting boards are used to avoid cross-contamination. Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels, then rub evenly with olive oil, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 6 to 8 minutes per side until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 74C/165F in the thickest part.
Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing into strips. This allows the juices to redistribute.
Combine the thawed peas, fresh basil, parmesan cheese, pine nuts, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until smooth but retaining a slight texture.
Reserve a small mug of the starchy pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta in a colander. Return the pasta to the warm pot off the heat.
Add the pea pesto to the warm pasta and toss vigorously to coat. If the sauce is too thick, add the reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time until a glossy sauce forms.
Divide the pesto pasta among four shallow bowls and top each serving with the sliced pan-fried chicken. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Thawing frozen peas quickly is easy: place them in a fine mesh sieve and run them under warm water for 60 seconds before draining thoroughly.
- Pounding the chicken breasts to an even thickness before cooking ensures they pan-fry evenly without burning the outside while waiting for the thickest part to cook.
- Toasting the pine nuts amplifies their essential oils and provides a deeper, nuttier backbone to an otherwise very sweet and bright pesto.
- Do not return the pot to the heat once you add the pesto to the pasta. Cooking the pesto mutes the vibrant flavor of the fresh basil and dulls the bright green color of the peas.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store chicken and pasta separately if possible to maintain optimal texture.
Freezer: 1 month — Pesto may lose some of its vibrant green color upon freezing, but flavor will remain intact.
Reheating: Gently warm on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of water to loosen the pesto sauce.
Troubleshooting
Pesto sauce is too thick and clumpy when mixed with pasta
Cause: The cheese and nuts absorbed the oil, and the pasta cooled down too quickly
Fix: Vigorously stir in a splash of hot pasta water or warm tap water until the sauce loosens and becomes creamy
Prevention: Always reserve starchy pasta water before draining to adjust the sauce consistency
Chicken breast is dry and tough
Cause: Overcooking the meat past its safe internal temperature
Fix: Cannot be fixed, but slicing it thinly and mixing it thoroughly with the moist pesto pasta can mask the dryness
Prevention: Use a meat thermometer to pull the chicken exactly when it reaches 74C/165F
Cultural Context
Pesto alla Genovese is the traditional basil-based sauce from Liguria, Italy. This modern adaptation swaps a portion of the herbs and oil for sweet green peas, transforming a heavily oil-based condiment into a lighter, vegetable-forward sauce that remains true to the spirit of Italian resourcefulness.
