Chicken Pesto Pasta with crunchy garlic croutons

Chicken Pesto Pasta

Serves 2

Ingredients:

For the Pasta:

• Half a large courgette, diced
• 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3 teaspoons of plain greek yogurt 
• 3 tablespoons of pesto
• 1 large chicken thigh, diced
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, grated
• Grated parmesan cheese, to taste
• 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh or dried thyme
• Basil leaves, torn
• Pasta of your choice
• Salt and pepper

For the Crunchy Croutons:

• End of a loaf of bread, torn into small pieces
• 1 teaspoon of butter
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• Salt and pepper

Cooking Steps:

1. Prep Ingredients:

   • Before starting, bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.
   • Dice all vegetables, grate the parmesan and the chicken breast. Tear up the bread into small pieces for croutons.

2. Prepare Crunchy Croutons:

   • In a pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat.
   • Add crushed garlic, salt, and pepper to the pan.
   • Cook the torn bread pieces in the seasoned butter until golden and crunchy. Set aside.

3. Cook Pasta:

   • Add pasta to the boiling water and cook according to packet instructions.

4. Cook Chicken and Vegetables:

   • Heat a pan with vegetable oil over medium heat.
   • Cook diced chicken in the pan, seasoning with salt and pepper, until golden on both sides.
   • Add grated garlic, thyme, and onion to the pan and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
   • Move everything to one side of the pan and add diced courgette. Cook until lightly browned, then add cherry tomatoes and cook for another minute or 2, but you want them to still hold there shape.

5. Finish Dish:

   • Once the pasta is cooked, add a ladleful of the starchy pasta water to the pan with the cooked ingredients.
   • Drain the pasta and add it to the pan along with pesto and yogurt.
   • Mix everything together and turn off the heat.
   • Stir in grated parmesan cheese and torn basil leaves.

6. Serve:

   • Plate the chicken pasta pesto and top with crunchy croutons for texture.