Whole Wheat Summer Pesto Pasta {One-Pot Meal}
This Whole Wheat Summer Pesto Pasta is the perfect one-pot meal that’s great for meal prep and batch cooking during a busy workweek!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 474kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breasts, diced
- 1 lb whole wheat rotini
- 1/2 cup jarred pesto
- 1 zucchini
- 1 yellow squash or use 2 zucchini instead
- 4 plum tomatoes, diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 red onion, diced
- 2 cups spinach, chopped
Instructions
Faster instructions
- Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and drain pasta, then set aside in a strainer.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large pan, then add chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned, seasoning with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes, zucchini, red onion and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes until veggies have softened.
- Add pasta back to pot, along with chicken and veggies. Then add pasta water and pesto, stirring well to coat. Stir in chopped spinach and remove from heat once wilted. Serve and enjoy!
One Pot instructions
- Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and drain pasta, then set aside in a strainer. Return pasta pot to stove over med-high heat.
- Add remaining tbsp of olive oil to pot, then add chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned. Add tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, red onion and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes until veggies have softened.
- Add pesto, pasta waster and pasta back to pot, stirring well to coat and cooking for another 2 minutes or so. Stir in chopped spinach and remove from heat. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Use any kind of pasta noodles you want like fusilli, penne or even macaroni.
Make sure to reserve ½ cup of pasta water to thicken up the sauce.
If you don’t have any jarred pesto sauce you can make your own using basil leaves, olive oil, parmesan, garlic, salt and pepper.
Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Sprinkle some water over top then microwave for 2 minutes.
Freeze individual serving sizes for up to 3 months then reheat from frozen in the microwave for 6-7 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 474kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 299mg | Potassium: 800mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1852IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 2mg