Chicken Pesto Pasta

Chicken pesto pasta was a mainstay in my house growing up. It was served with extra pine nuts and bowtie or shell pasta, and it was often eaten straight out of the tupperware standing in front of the refrigerator. Yes, I love pesto. We’ve made some other pesto-related dishes, but it was really time to take a stab at the classic. We used our awesome spiralizer to make zucchini noodles (or zoodles) that rival the wheat-based pasta we no longer eat.

Make this chicken pesto pasta for a weekend picnic, or when planning out meals for the week. We ate almost all of it in a matter of hours, but the two leftover servings we set aside were great during the week as well. Enjoy this recipe, and check out the bottom of the post for more of our pesto-rific paleo recipes!

Ingredients
2 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 packed C fresh basil
1/3 C pine nuts
4 extra large garlic cloves
pinch each of salt and pepper
1/2 C avocado oil
2 large zucchinis

Method

Rinse and pat dry the chicken thighs. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Grill over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes per side. Set aside on a plate or platter to rest.

Place basil, pine nuts, and garlic into a blender or Vitamix in that order. Pour 1/4 C of oil into the blender. Then, turn the blender on medium. Pour remaining oil in slowly as it blends.

Turn up the blender to high and blend for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the pesto is smooth.

Spiralize the zucchinis (or use a julienne peeler). Cut zoodles with knife or scissors if desired.

Toss with pesto.

Slice the chicken thighs and add to pesto pasta.

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