Fusilli with Chicken Breast, Spinach, Basil Pesto, and Parmesan

Fusilli tossed with boneless skinless chicken breast, spinach, and basil pesto. Save some pasta water. It is the difference between a sauce that coats and one that sits in a puddle. Serves 4.

Serves 4 · 36 min · Dinner

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Ingredients

Units: US Metric
  • 440 g boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 360 g fusilli
  • 280 g spinach
  • 0.8 g black pepper
  • 3.2 g kosher salt
  • 60 g Parmesan
  • 60 g fresh basil
  • 2 clove garlic
  • 60 ml olive oil
  • 48 g Parmesan
  • 32 g pine nuts

Steps

  1. Bring 3600 ml water to a rolling boil and salt it with about 8 g salt. Add 360 g fusilli and cook until tender with a firm center, about 11 minutes. Reserve a mug of the water, then drain.
  2. Season 440 g boneless skinless chicken breast with a little salt. Cook it in a wide skillet with a spoon of the sauce's oil or butter until opaque and no longer pink in the center, about 5 minutes. Target temperature: 74°C / 165°F. Add 280 g spinach and cook until just tender.
  3. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients to the skillet and simmer 3 to 5 minutes. Loosen it with a splash of the reserved pasta water if it looks thick.
  4. Toss the drained fusilli with the sauce in the skillet. Fold in 48 g Parmesan. Add more pasta water a spoon at a time until the sauce clings. Serve immediately.

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