I had one really big chicken breast (from Zaycon Foods) and needed to make something wonderful happen. Really. I was craving something extravagant on a nickle budget. I looked in my pantry and vegetable bins and inspiration struck.
Put on a pot of water to boil while you prep your chicken.
Place a skillet over medium-high heat. Then, flatten your chicken breast evenly and season it on both sides with onion powder, black pepper, paprika, basil, and salt. Drizzle about a tablespoon into your skillet and when it shimmers, put the chicken breast in the oil.
Cook the chicken until done and remove it. Let the chicken rest while you throw everything else together.
If you get your vegetables washed and prepped while your chicken is cooking, this recipe comes together in a flash. You can even prep them when you do your Cooking 1X a Week and store them tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to four days. The mushrooms and peppers start to get a little mushy after that.
While your pasta is boiling, add 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet where you cooked your chicken. Add a minced clove of garlic and stir it around for about 30 seconds.
Then, add your vegetables, including the olives and artichokes to the skillet. Give them a good toss in the garlic butter. Cook over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes or until they begin to soften.
While they are cooking, chop up your chicken. Add it to the skillet.
When your pasta is done, toss them into the skillet. (Yeah, you need a big skillet although you could probably do this in a stock pot too.)
Add your prepared pesto to the skillet and toss everything well. Remove from heat.
Yes, I know that you can make homemade pesto and I have done it. But, I realized something… In my part of the world, unless you grow your own basil, by the time you buy the fresh basil, olive oil, and pine nuts (or walnuts), you could have purchased prepared pesto… and probably saved a few cents.
Sprinkle with your Parmesan cheese and give the pasta a toss. It’s ready to serve and it is SO GOOD. Packed with vegetables, it’s a complete meal in one bowl.
Ingredients
- 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
- Paprika, onion powder, salt, black pepper, dried basil for seasoning
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 clove garlic, pressed
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- ½ cup sliced black olives
- 1 can artichoke hearts, quartered
- 16 ounces rotini
- ¼ cup prepared pesto
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Put on a pot of water to boil while you prep the chicken.
- Place a skillet over medium-high heat. Then, flatten your chicken breast evenly and season it on both sides with onion powder, black pepper, paprika, basil, and salt.
- Drizzle olive oil into your skillet and when it shimmers, put the chicken breast in the oil.
- Cook the chicken until done and remove it. Keep warm.
- While your pasta is boiling, add 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet where you cooked your chicken. Add a minced clove of garlic and stir it around for about 30 seconds.
- Add your vegetables, including the olives and artichokes to the skillet. Toss the vegetables in the garlic butter. Cook over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes or until they begin to soften.
- Chop up the chicken. Add it to the skillet.
- Add the cooked (and drained) pasta to the skillet.
- Add your prepared pesto to the skillet and toss everything well. Remove from heat.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.
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Hi Penny,
Looking forward to more recipes.
I just found your website yesterday and I love it. I made this recipe last night and it was delicious! It was easy to do and healthy…I love it! The only thing is it doesn’t say when to add the pesto…so I just tossed it in at the end. So good and I even have leftovers for today. Thank you so much
Ha! Please pardon the sleep-deprived mommy. You were right to stir it in at the end. I will make sure to get that recipe updated. Thank you so much!
LOL Actually I noticed you did state it in the picture part (which by the way is so helpful) but when I printed it, it didn’t state it. Oh well, no worries…I absolutely loved it