Whole Wheat Pasta with Chicken and Spinach Pesto

Preparation & Pasta

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  Cook the whole wheat pasta in a large pot with plenty of salted boiling water according to package instructions until al dente. This usually takes about 12–15 minutes. Then drain, reserving some of the pasta water.

Frying Chicken

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  Meanwhile, rinse the chicken breast fillet under cold water, pat dry, and cut into bite-sized cubes. Heat 10 ml of sunflower oil (approx. 1 tbsp) in a pan and fry the chicken cubes over medium heat for about 5 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the pan from the heat.

Preparing Spinach Pesto

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  For the pesto, wash and spin dry the baby spinach. Place the spinach together with the hazelnuts, the remaining sunflower oil (60 ml), and the freshly grated Parmesan in a blender or finely mix with an immersion blender. For a more intense flavor, add the peeled garlic cloves. Season with salt and pepper.

Serving

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  Return the cooked pasta to the pot and fold in the spinach pesto and the fried chicken cubes. If necessary, add a splash of the reserved pasta water to make the sauce creamier. Arrange on plates and serve immediately.