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Grilled Chicken with Homemade Cilantro-Basil Pesto Protein Pasta

Grilled chicken served over protein pasta tossed with a quick homemade cilantro-basil pesto, loosened with hot pasta water.

Prep
10 min
Cook
15 min
Total
25 min
Serving Size
1 cup pesto protein spaghetti + about 2½ oz cooked grilled chicken
Calories
~370 per serving
Grilled chicken with homemade cilantro-basil pesto protein pasta in a white bowl

Ingredients

Homemade Cilantro-Basil Pesto

  • 1 generous bunch fresh cilantro washed; thick woody stems trimmed
  • 1 handful fresh basil washed
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • ⅓ cup nuts
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • ½ tsp salt
  • to taste black pepper
  • ½ cup olive oil to start, plus more only if needed

Chicken & Pasta

  • 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • 12 oz protein spaghetti
  • to taste Salt
  • to taste Black pepper
  • Up to 1 cup reserved pasta water
  • to taste Grated Parmesan for serving

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Homemade Cilantro-Basil Pesto

Chicken & Pasta

Instructions

  1. Make the cilantro-basil pesto Wash and dry the fresh cilantro and basil. Trim off any thick or woody cilantro ends, but tender cilantro stems can stay. Add the herbs to a food processor or blender with ½ cup grated Parmesan, ⅓ cup nuts, 2 cloves garlic, the juice of 1 lemon, ½ tsp salt, and black pepper to taste. Pulse several times, then begin adding approximately ½ cup olive oil while blending until the pesto comes together. Add more olive oil only if needed. Taste and adjust lemon, salt, garlic, or Parmesan if necessary. Do not make the pesto artificially thin; hot pasta water will loosen the portion used for the pasta later.
  2. Grill the chicken Season 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast with salt and black pepper to taste. Grill over medium-high heat until cooked through. Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes, then slice it. The chicken will be served on top of the finished pesto pasta.
  3. Cook the protein spaghetti While the chicken grills, cook 12 oz protein spaghetti according to the package directions. Before draining, reserve approximately 1 cup of the hot pasta water. Drain the spaghetti, return it to the warm pot, and take the pot off the heat.
  4. Add the homemade pesto Start by adding approximately ½ cup of the homemade cilantro-basil pesto to the warm spaghetti. Do not assume the entire batch should be used. The pesto is concentrated, especially after refrigeration. Toss the pesto with the spaghetti.
  5. Loosen it with pasta water Add a small splash of the reserved hot pasta water and toss again. Continue adding pasta water a little at a time until the pesto loosens enough to coat the spaghetti evenly. When I made this, it did not take much pasta water and it did not noticeably dilute the flavor. Taste the pasta and add more homemade pesto if a stronger pesto flavor is desired.
  6. Plate Divide the pesto protein spaghetti between plates or bowls. Place the sliced grilled chicken on top. Do not mix the chicken throughout the pasta.
  7. Finish Top with grated Parmesan to taste if desired. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Estimated per 1 cup pesto protein spaghetti plus about 2½ oz cooked grilled chicken.

Calories
~370
Total Fat
~13 g
Saturated Fat
~2.5 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Cholesterol
~75 mg
Sodium
~360 mg
Total Carbohydrates
~38 g
Dietary Fiber
~5 g
Total Sugars
~2 g
Added Sugars
0 g
Protein
~30 g

Nutrition Assumptions

  • Serving size: 1 cup pesto protein spaghetti plus about 2½ oz cooked grilled chicken.
  • Finished pasta yield is estimated at approximately 6 cups after tossing 12 oz protein spaghetti with about ½ cup homemade pesto and small splashes of pasta water.
  • The standard nutrition estimate includes ½ cup of the finished homemade cilantro-basil pesto in the pasta. Extra pesto added to taste is not included.
  • The pesto estimate assumes a generous bunch of cilantro, a handful of basil, ½ cup grated Parmesan, ⅓ cup nuts, 2 cloves garlic, juice of 1 lemon, ½ tsp salt, black pepper, and ½ cup olive oil. The herbs were not measured exactly, and they have much less nutrition impact than the oil, Parmesan, and nuts.
  • Protein spaghetti nutrition varies significantly by brand; this estimate uses a representative protein spaghetti profile for 12 oz dry pasta.
  • Sodium varies based on the pasta brand, Parmesan, salt, and how much salted pasta water clings to the spaghetti.
  • Additional Parmesan or extra toppings added when serving are not included.

A Note From the Kitchen

I had a lot of cilantro and some fresh basil that needed to be used, so I threw both into a quick homemade pesto instead of letting them go to waste. I didn't bother measuring the herbs. There was considerably more cilantro than basil, and that worked really well.

After refrigerating the pesto, it became very thick. I originally thought I might need more olive oil when using it with pasta, but hot pasta water worked much better. A small amount loosened the pesto enough to coat the spaghetti without noticeably diluting the flavor. Grilling the chicken while the protein pasta cooks also keeps the actual dinner preparation quick.

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