Pesto chicken tagliatelle is a fantastic 20-minute budget recipe just bursting with flavour. This easy pasta dinner makes for a comforting and filling weeknight family meal!
You know folks when I think of comfort food what always comes first to mind is pasta.
I mean don't you agree that pasta is just the ultimate comfort food?
It’s filling, easy to make, and is always perfect for dinner.
It's tagliatelle pasta that's particularly suitable for this delicious pesto chicken tagliatelle recipe!
This creamy chicken pesto pasta is particularly suitable as a quick healthy weeknight dinner.
It doesn't take a lot of time and nor is it drowning in lots of cream sauce either. So that's why this chicken tagliatelle is healthier!
But I mean don't get me wrong.....
I absolutely love creamy tagliatelle chicken pasta dishes made with full cream.
However I prefer to save those for when I'm out enjoying dinner at a real Italian restaurant!
At home I don't tend to cook with cream (except for when it's in my desserts 😉 ).
But that doesn't mean that I don't want my home cooked chicken with tagliatelle pasta dishes to be just as flavoursome and delicious as eating out.
So I use crème fraîche as a substitute.
It adds a healthier base to this chicken tagliatelle's sauce and when mixed with the pesto it still gives a delicious creamy texture and taste to this dish so you're definitely not loosing out.
This is one tasty chicken tagliatelle recipe that I know you'll want to book mark for those nights you don't have enough time or just can't be bothered!
You can make it in 5 easy steps......
5 Steps To Make This Pesto Chicken Tagliatelle
- Get the tagliatelle simmering away on the stove.
- Sauté the chicken then add the tomatoes to soften them and add a delicious sweetness.
- Stir in the pesto and crème fraîche to make the dish nice and creamy.
- Mix in the cooked tagliatelle coating it well in the creamy sauce.
- Divide the pesto tagliatelle between plates and garnish with parmesan and freshly copped basil. Bellissimo!
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Pesto Chicken Tagliatelle Recipe
Although I used tagliatelle pasta for this pesto chicken tagliatelle recipe you could easily use penne pasta instead or any pasta you have on hand.
I’d love to hear what you think of my recipe in the comments below and please do rate my recipe 5* if you like it! 🙂
Pesto Chicken Tagliatelle Recipe
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Ingredients
- 250 g Tagliatelle
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 400 g diced chicken breasts
- 220 g cherry tomatoes halved
- 4 tablespoon green pesto*
- 4 tablespoon reduced fat crème fraiche
- Freshly ground salt and pepper
- Freshly grated parmesan and chopped fresh basil to serve
Instructions
- Cook the tagliatelle according to the packet instructions.
- Whilst the tagliatelle is cooking, gently heat the oil in a large pan / skillet then add the chicken and stir fry for 6 - 7 minutes until cooked through.
- Add the tomatoes to the pan and stir them in with the chicken until they begin to soften. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the pesto and creme fraiche. Return the pan to the heat and simmer for another 1-2 minutes. Season to taste.
- Once tagliatelle is cooked, drain it well and add it to the pan with the chicken. Mix well so the sauce coats the pasta.
- Serve topped with parmesan and fresh basil.
David @ Spiced
Using crème fraîche in this recipe is a great idea, Neil! I love an easy pasta recipe, and I almost always keep the ingredients around as 'pantry staples.' I'm totally filing this idea away for when we need a quick and easy (but delicious!) meal!
Neil
Crème fraîche is just a great alternative to cream in my opinion David. Nothing wrong with cream, I love it but in small amounts and most definitely in my cheesecakes as I said! Glad you like the recipe and hope you get a chance to make it one day! 🙂
Ron
A nice light creamy pasta you've got there Neil. We try never to be without Crème Fraiche, but then we're pretty addicted to the stuff over here. We have three different butterfat content versions. the full fat is 45% and sooooo creamy (I love it). then there is 34% and 13%. The 45% comes from a local dairy and the other lower two are the standard market variety. What is the butterfat content of your reduced fat Crème Fraiche?
Neil
Thanks Ron. There's nearly always a tub of Crème Fraiche in our fridge too! The butterfat content of the reduced fat version I am using is 15%. Hope you get a chance to make the pasta. I'd love to hear what you think. 🙂
mimi rippee
Love this. Everything about this pasta is fabulous. I love creme fraiche as well, but I use nothing with reduced fat. I just personally have a problem with it. I love to mix cream with pesto pasta sometimes, but even evaporated milk works beautifully. I don't know what the equivalent would be where you live. I really love it because it smells just like the unpasteurized milk I always got when I lived in France as a kid!
Neil
Thanks Mimi. Glad you like the recipe! 😀
I think it's a personal preference as to what you use in your cooking although I use the lower fat versions of most things as I often don't notice the difference in their taste anyway. And for health reasons too.
Shashi at SavorySpin
Neil, I'm actually not a huge fan of creamy pasta dishes so I absolutely LOVE that this isn't drowning in cream! I need to get my hands on some creme fraiche and try this out soon as my daughter absolutely loves pasta! Looking forward to seeing that potato aubergine curry next week - hoping you and lady lynne have a wonderful weekend!
Neil
Thank you Shashi! So glad you like my new pasta dish. Once you get your hands on some Crème Fraiche I know you'll find it useful in all your own recipes too. Hope you and your daughter have a great weekend as well!
Laura
Bellissimo! Is right, Neil! This looks like a winner, and has my kitchen all over it! I love the idea of making a creamy pesto, and can’t wait to give this a try. I’ve never thought of using creme fraiche, what a great idea! Quick and easy and super flavorful - thanks so much!
Neil
Crème fraiche is such a great alternative to cream Laura, I know you'll love using it in your kitchen too. Thanks so much for your kind comments. Hope you are well!
GiGi Eats
Don't even remind me of the amazing food we ate in Africa! WAHHH! lol!
Neil
Some of the best food memories I have are of eating food in and from Africa. Can't wait to go back! (Next year hopefully. This year is Asia! 😉 )
Easyfoodsmith
If it was possible for her, my daughter would have pasta,daily! I am definitely going to treat her to your recipe. thank you so much for sharing. Have a great week.ahead..
Neil
I hope you daughter enjoys this as much as we do! Thank you and have a good week yourself. 🙂
Mae
This pasta recipe looks very tasty and easy to make. Pretty sure that my family would love this simple yet full of flavor pasta recipe. Thank you for sharing this one.
Neil
Thank you Mae!
Hope that your family enjoy this pasta recipe. 🙂