Basil Pesto Chicken Pasta with Peas
Twirly gluten-free penne with golden chicken strips, a silky smooth basil pesto and sweet peas.
- Celiac
- Hashimoto's
- Pregnancy
- Toddlers
- Gluten-free
- Crohn’s and colitis
- Kid-friendly
- One pan
- Quick
- Gluten-free Italian
Plan it for your familyFree on iPhone, Android and the web.
Ingredients
- 400 g gluten-free penne
- 500 g chicken breasts, cut into bite-size strips
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 3 tbsp pine nuts, blended completely smooth into the pesto
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 0.33 cup olive oil
- 250 g frozen peas
- ½ tsp salt
Method
- Boil the pasta in salted water until just tender.10 min timer
- Brown the chicken strips in olive oil until golden all over.
- Blend the basil, pine nuts, parmesan, garlic, lemon juice and oil until completely smooth.
- Boil the peas briefly, then drain with the pasta, keeping a cup of the water.2 min timerKids’ plate comes out here
- Toss the pasta, chicken and peas with the pesto, loosening with pasta water.
Kids’ plate: Buttery Twirl Pasta
On the plate: Plain penne with shredded chicken, a knob of butter and a few peas.
Make it a game: Hunt for the five peas hiding in the pasta and let each one hop into your mouth.
Set it aside at step 4, before the grown-ups’ sauce or spice goes on.
Why it works
- Hashimoto's thyroiditis: The sauce is basil, olive oil and parmesan, with no soy in sight.
- Gluten-free: Gluten-free penne carries the whole dish, so everyone twirls the same bowl.
- Kid (4–12): Plain buttery pasta with chicken strips and peas, familiar and easy to twirl.
- Toddler (1–3): Short-cut pasta and soft peas, with chicken chopped to little pieces and a spoonful of silky smooth pesto.
Celiac check: watch for hidden gluten in soy sauce, stock, malt vinegar and seasoning blends, and oats that aren’t certified. Gluten gives food ideas, not medical advice: always check labels for allergens and cross-contact.
Cooking for more than one diet?
Add everyone you cook for, with their allergies, diets and ages. Gluten checks this recipe for each of them and tells you what to change for anyone who can’t eat it as written. It’s free.
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This recipe also fits: Hashimoto's recipes, Pregnancy recipes, Toddlers recipes, Gluten-free recipes, Crohn’s and colitis recipes, Kid-friendly recipes, One pan recipes, Quick recipes, Gluten-free Italian recipes.