Lemon Spinach Pesto Chicken (Dairy Free Sauce)

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.  There is nothing like fresh herbs in a dish! It really makes all the difference in the world.  The combo of the basil, spinach, and lemon in this dish are so bright and delicious.  This meal is so easy. It’s really as simple as cooking chicken, making sauce in a blender or food processor, and mixing it all with noodles.  And did I mention that it tastes fabulous and is absolutely PACKED with protein?

So as I have said before, my husband is dairy free, so we have had to get creative with lots of traditional recipes over the last few years and this is one of them.  Traditional pesto sauce has Parmesan cheese in it.  This doesn’t in the sauce itself, but as you can see, I put mine on top.  You could use this sauce on just about anything.  It would be really yummy as a dressing for a pasta salad! Ooh, that gives me so many more ideas!

I’m thinking I should be making this on St. Patrick’s Day ;). But why save it for then when you can eat it all year round? And my kids strangely like the fact that they are eating green chicken and noodles :).  

Start by cutting your chicken up and cooking it in a large skillet like so:

While the chicken is cooking, add all the pesto ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend away! Also, cook your noodles according to package directions.

When the chicken is cooked through, and the noodles are done cooking, pour the sauce and the noodles in with the chicken and toss it all together.

Plate up and enjoy! You can add cheese on top or squirt with a little fresh lemon juice if you would like. 

Lemon Spinach Pesto Chicken

2015-05-15 18:54:27

Serves 4

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Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

25 min

Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

25 min

Ingredients

1. 1.5 lb chicken breast
2. 8 oz whole wheat spaghetti

for the sauce

1. 3 oz baby spinach
2. 4 t minced garlic
3. 1/2 C fresh basil leaves
4. 2 T olive oil
5. zest and juice 1/2 lemon
6. 1 t salt
7. fresh ground pepper

Instructions

1. Bring water to boil in a medium pot for your noodles and cook according to package.
2. Heat large skillet to medium high and add cubed up chicken. Brown chicken until all pieces are cooked through.
3. While pasta and chicken are cooking, add all the pesto ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
4. When chicken is done, add sauce and cooked noodles. Toss to coat.
5. We like to top ours with Parmesan cheese and pepper!

Notes

1. Macros: Calories 428; Fat 11; Carbs 40; Protein 48
2. Macros do not include the Parmesan cheese.
3. Serves 4. Each serving is about 11.5 ounces.

By Jenny Nielson

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