Description
Homemade noodle chicken pesto bowl blends Mediterranean flavors with comforting pasta textures. Fresh herbs and grilled chicken create a balanced, satisfying meal you’ll want to savor again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- ½ lb (226 g) boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 medium zucchini (454 g)
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 handful cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 tbsps (30 mL) extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp paprika
- Kosher salt
- ¼ cup (60 mL) prepared basil pesto
- Several fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced, for garnish
Instructions
- Seasoning: Evenly coat chicken breast with salt and paprika, ensuring comprehensive flavor distribution.
- Searing: Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over high temperature, carefully placing chicken to develop a golden-brown exterior for 1-2 minutes per side.
- Cooking: Reduce heat, cover pan, and continue cooking until chicken is fully cooked through, typically 2-5 minutes depending on thickness.
- Resting: Transfer chicken to a cutting surface, allowing internal juices to redistribute while preparing remaining components.
- Zucchini Preparation: Transform zucchini into delicate spirals using a spiralizer, creating elegant, pasta-like noodles.
- Noodle Sautéing: Return pan to high heat with additional olive oil, quickly sautéing zucchini noodles and garlic, maintaining crisp texture and preventing burning.
- Moisture Management: Drain zucchini noodles if excess liquid appears to prevent sogginess, seasoning with a pinch of salt.
- Assembly: Slice rested chicken into uniform pieces, combine zucchini noodles with basil pesto, thoroughly coating each strand for maximum flavor infusion.
- Plating: Artfully arrange pesto-dressed zucchini noodles in serving bowls, topping with sliced chicken and garnishing with fresh cherry tomatoes and basil leaves for a visually stunning presentation.
Notes
- Sear for Flavor Perfection: Achieve a golden-brown crust by searing chicken at high heat, which locks in juices and creates a delicious caramelized exterior.
- Moisture Management for Zucchini Noodles: Drain excess liquid from zucchini spirals to prevent a watery, soggy dish and maintain a crisp, fresh texture.
- Resting Meat Matters: Allow cooked chicken to rest for a few minutes, enabling internal juices to redistribute and ensuring each bite remains tender and succulent.
- Temperature Control is Key: Adjust cooking heat from high to low when preparing chicken, preventing overcooking and maintaining optimal moisture and tenderness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 335
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 280 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 26 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg