Description
This 30 Minute Pesto Penne with Chicken and Cherry Tomatoes is a quick and flavorful pasta dish featuring tender chicken strips, vibrant green beans, fresh cherry tomatoes, and a creamy pesto-mayonnaise sauce. Perfect for a weeknight dinner, this recipe combines simple ingredients and straightforward steps to deliver a satisfying meal bursting with Italian-inspired flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta and Vegetables
- 1 tablespoon salt (for boiling water)
- 16 ounces penne pasta
- 16 ounces green beans (French cut frozen, unthawed)
- 1 box cherry tomatoes (sliced in half)
Chicken
- 2 chicken breasts (sliced thin)
- 3/4 teaspoon Lawry’s seasoned salt
- 1/2 teaspoon steak seasoning
- Olive oil (for cooking and tossing)
Sauce
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup pesto
- 1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Garnish
- 1/4 cup Parmesan (shredded)
- More Parmesan (for garnish)
Instructions
- Boil Pasta and Green Beans: Bring a large pot or high-sided skillet of water to a boil, adding about a tablespoon of salt so the water tastes like the ocean. Add the penne pasta and set a 5-minute timer.
- Add Green Beans: After 5 minutes, add the frozen green beans. It’s optional how much to use. Set the timer for another 4 minutes. Check for al dente pasta and tender green beans. Drain everything completely and return to the pot. If you won’t be adding the sauce immediately, stir in a couple teaspoons of olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Prepare Chicken: Slice the chicken breasts into thin strips, pat dry, and season with Lawry’s seasoned salt and steak seasoning.
- Cook Chicken: Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil to coat the pan. When the oil shimmers, add chicken strips in batches ensuring space between pieces to brown and not steam. Cook each side until browned, about 2 minutes on the first side and 1 minute on the second side. Repeat with remaining chicken. Set cooked chicken aside to rest, then chop into bite-sized strips.
- Make Sauce: In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, pesto, white vinegar, salt, and pepper. Stir well until smooth and well mixed.
- Prepare Garnishes: Slice cherry tomatoes in half and shred the Parmesan cheese.
- Combine Ingredients: Add the pesto sauce, halved cherry tomatoes, shredded Parmesan, and chopped chicken to the drained pasta and green beans. Stir everything together until evenly coated.
- Serve: Serve the pasta hot, garnished with additional shredded Parmesan as desired.
Notes
- Using frozen green beans added during pasta cooking saves time and adds a fresh crunch.
- Seasoning chicken with both Lawry’s seasoned salt and steak seasoning gives it a flavorful crust.
- Resting the chicken after cooking helps retain its juices when chopped.
- The pesto-mayonnaise sauce is creamy with a slight tang from vinegar balancing the flavors perfectly.
- You can adjust the amount of pesto and mayonnaise to preference for a lighter or richer sauce.
- Reserve some pasta water to loosen sauce if needed after combining.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute penne with gluten-free pasta.
