Adding chicken and chickpeas helps stretch this pasta dish made with fresh pesto. Can’t make fresh pesto right now? No worries! Use the best prepared pesto you can find, and this past dish will still satisfy.

Watch how I make this pesto straight from the timestamp below! Check out the rest of the videos, too! ?

Pasta with Fresh Pesto, Chicken, and Chickpeas

Made with summer basil, and stretched to feed a crowd by adding tender chicken and chickpeas!

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 3 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Course pasta

Cuisine Mediterranean

Ingredients

  

For the Pesto!

• 1 cup olive oil, or more if needed to make the pesto sauce
• 2 handfuls basil leaves
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper

For the Rest!

• olive oil
• 2 chicken breasts, cubed
• 2 cans chickpeas
• 1 tsp paprika
• salt and pepper

Instructions

 

• Add all the pesto ingredients to a blender. Add more olive oil to help it loosen up until desired consistency. * Remember to taste as you go!
• While the pasta water boils, brown the chicken in a pan. Add the chickpeas and season with paprika, salt, and pepper. Keep on the side.
• Drain the pasta once cooked, and reserve a half cup of pasta water.
• Smear a good tablespoon or so of pesto on the bottom of a big pasta dish. Toss in the pasta, chicken, and chickpeas.
• Add a bit more pesto sauce as you toss the pasta, drizzling in some of the starchy pasta water.
• When you think you are done tossing, toss some more!
• Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Keyword Pasta with fresh pesto, Pasta with pesto, pasta with pesto, chicken, and chickpeas, pesto pasta with chicken, pesto pasta with chicken and beans, summer pasta pesto