This is one of those meals that doesn’t look very pretty, but packs a lot of flavor and does not require much prep. Creamy pesto sauce tossed with pasta pairs well with chicken, mushrooms, and broccoli. The meal is simple and perfect for a weeknight family meal, so I had to share. (Really, not my best looking food picture).
One of the items we almost always have in our freezer is broccoli. Steaming it is simple, and works for a side dish, or thrown in an omelet or pasta. Also, Davis likes it, so it’s a win win. Todd had grilled extra chicken the night before we ate this meal. I did take the extra step to sauté the mushrooms separately, but those are optional. You could add basically any vegetable you like to this – the key part of the recipe is the creamy pesto pasta sauce.
Creamy Pesto Pasta Sauce
- 1/2 block (4 oz) cream cheese
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1/3-1/2 c whole milk
- 1/2 c basil pesto (ours was Trader Joe’s)
- salt & pepper to taste
- parmesan cheese, grated (add in to the sauce while cooking, or top pasta with the cheese)
Add the cream cheese and butter to a sauté pan heated to medium heat. Stir until the cream cheese and butter are mostly melted. Add the milk and warm slowly. Stir regularly to prevent from burning or sticking to the pan. Add the pesto and whisk while cooking. It will thicken. Reduce heat and season if needed with salt and pepper.
Toss the pasta sauce with cooked pasta*. Top with the chicken, broccoli, and mushrooms. (I sliced leftover grilled chicken, and tossed it in a hot sauté pan with steamed broccoli, sautéed mushrooms and a little olive oil). Garnish with crushed red pepper and parmesan cheese.
*I use GF brown rice pasta for myself, and regular fusilli for the boys.
Enjoy!
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