Roasted Vegetable Pesto Pasta With Chicken {Gluten Free, Paleo Option}
Homemade pesto coats an array of fresh spring vegetables, tender chicken, and pasta in this must try spring dinner.
Equipment
- 2 large baking sheets
- Aluminum foil optional for easy clean up
- 1 deep 12" skillet
- 1 Wooden Spoon
- 1 medium pot
- 1 Medium bowl
- 1 slotted spoon or tongs
Ingredients
Roasted Vegetables
- ½ head broccoli cut in medium florets
- ⅔ bunch fresh asparagus* ends trimmed and sliced in thirds
- 7-8 mini bell peppers sliced in ½" rings
- 1 medium yellow squash deseeded and ½" diced
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- salt and black pepper
Gluten Free Pasta
- 1 8oz box gluten free pasta** cooked al dente
Skillet Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- avocado oil spray or your favorite cooking spray/oil
- 1½ cups cherry tomatoes
- 3 cloves fresh garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon salt plus extra pinches
- 1 batch Dairy Free Pesto***
Instructions
Roast The Vegetables
- Pre-heat oven to 425℉ and line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil for easy clean up.
- Add broccoli florets and cut asparagus to one baking sheet and drizzle with 1½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Toss until coated evenly and spread into a single layer. Sprinkle 3-4 pinches of salt and 3-4 dashes of black pepper over all of the vegetables. Bake for 12 minutes, until tender with a little bite.
- Add mini bell pepper rings and diced yellow squash to the other baking sheet and drizzle with 1½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Toss until coated evenly and spread into a single layer. Sprinkle 3-4 pinches of salt and 3-4 dashes of black pepper over all of the vegetables. Bake for 9 minutes, until tender with a little bite.
Boil Pasta
- Meanwhile, cook gluten free pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain, then rinse pasta 2x and drizzle with an additional tablespoon of olive oil to prevent sticking.
In The Skillet
- In a large deep skillet, over MEDIUM heat, spray with avocado oil until coated. Season diced chicken with 3-4 pinches of salt and a couple dashes of black pepper. When skillet is very hot add diced chicken in a single layer with some space in between pieces for browning. Cook 1-2 minutes per side and remove with a slotted spoon or tongs to a bowl to catch juices.
- In the same skillet over MEDIUM heat add cherry tomatoes and 2 pinches of salt. Sauté until they start to burst. You can help them along by pushing them with a spatula when the begin to soften. This takes about 10 minutes, they don't need to be fully burst.
- Add garlic to the burst tomatoes and sauté until fragrant about 30 seconds. Add chicken breasts and accumulate juices, pasta, roasted vegetables, and ½ teaspoon of salt to the pan. Add in Dairy Free Pesto and stir to combine. Cook until warm and chicken is cooked through to 165℉ about 3-5 minutes. Serve warm!
Notes
*The ends of asparagus are tough and woody, not something you want to eat. So, make sure you trim them. Trim where spear turns from green to white. If the color change isn't as noticeable, I typically trim the bottom ¼ of the stalk.
**I like to use Banza chickpea based pasta. If you want to make this dish paleo friendly use a cassava pasta like this brand.
***Here is the link to my easy 5-minute Dairy Free Pesto. The best time to make this (if you don't have a batch pre-made sitting in the refrigerator) would be while the cherry tomatoes are softening. You could also make it at the beginning of the recipe before you roast the vegetables.
Nutrition
Calories: 749kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 48gFat: 47gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gMonounsaturated Fat: 26gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 935mgPotassium: 1259mgFiber: 12gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 3298IUVitamin C: 132mgCalcium: 144mgIron: 9mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!