Creamy Pesto Chicken Penne

Ingredients

• 400 gram penne pasta
• 500 gram chicken breast fillets
• 1/2 cup basil pesto
• 150 millilitre thickened cream
• 60 gram baby spinach
• 1/4 cup parmesan, grated
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. 1Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the penne for the time on the packet. Before draining, scoop out half a cup of the pasta water.
2. 2While the water heats, cut the chicken into 2 cm pieces and season with salt and pepper.
3. 3Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 6 minutes, turning halfway, until golden and cooked through with no pink inside.
4. 4Turn the heat to low. Stir the pesto and cream into the pan with the chicken.
5. 5Add the drained pasta and baby spinach to the pan. Toss for 1 minute until the spinach wilts.
6. 6Loosen the sauce with splashes of the reserved pasta water until it coats the pasta nicely.
7. 7Serve in bowls topped with grated parmesan.