This chicken and artichoke pasta gets topped with creamy kale pesto sauce for some comfort food with a twist!
This recipe for Chicken & Artichokes with Kale Pesto is part of my quest to eat more veggies. Kale is definitely NOT on my list of favorite veggies - as a matter of fact, for a long time is probably was at the top of my of most unfavorite veggies. However, when you chop it up really small and mix it with some other things, it actually becomes pretty yummy. Not to mention extremely versatile! So making it into pesto is my way of getting some super healthy greens into my diet.
You'll find the recipe for the kale pesto in the Basics section of my blog. It's more pesto than you need for this recipe, so check out some of the links there for ideas for what you can do with the rest of it. It's super versatile goes well with potatoes, chicken, and just about any veggie.
I started out thinking this would be a baked pasta, however, my first attempt quickly made me re-think that idea! Without adding something creamy to the sauce it ended up being a bit dry. Then I thought about how you often see pasta done in restaurants, and realized that method would work perfectly for this dish! Add a little pasta water and sauté everything together to get a warm, creamy dish.
You'll want to use a 12-inch non-stick pan, or if you have one, a sauté pan, to make it easier to incorporate all the ingredients without making a giant mess. This recipe will make enough for 3-4 people depending on how hungry you are, and it keeps well as leftovers. I often take some to work the next day for lunch! This pasta dish is the perfect version of healthy comfort food!
Ingredient Notes
The full list of ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
- Penne pasta: You can use regular or high protein pasta. I have not tested the recipe using gluten-free pasta so I'm not sure how they would hold up in this recipe.
- Chicken breast: Boneless, skinless chicken breast is what you'll want for this recipe.
- Artichoke hearts: I recommend using frozen artichoke hearts for this recipe as they don't have any added flavors.
- Kale pesto: I suggest making your own but if you can find it premade you could use that as a substitute.
- Parmesan cheese: You'll want freshly grated for the best flavor.
- Greek yogurt: This gives the pasta some of its creaminess.
- Ricotta cheese: Full-fat ricotta cheese is the best option for this recipe.
- Spices: coarse ground pepper, garlic salt, dried thyme, dried shallots
- Pantry staples: Olive oil
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Chicken & Artichoke Pasta with Kale Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups uncooked Barilla Plus Penne
- 8 oz boneless skinless chicken breast, sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 oz frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, drained and chopped
- ¼ teaspoon course ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon dried shallots
- ¼ cup kale pesto
- ⅓ cup pasta water
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus additional for topping
- 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- ½ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a sauté pan. Add chicken and sauté until browned, breaking into bite-sized pieces as it cooks. Add the artichoke hearts, spices, and pepper; sauté 2-3 minutes until artichoke hearts are warmed. Keep warm over low heat.
- Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of water. Add pasta to chicken and artichoke mixture in the sauté pan; increase heat to medium-low and mix together. Add ⅓ cup pasta water, ¼ cup kale pesto, ricotta, parmesan & yogurt. Stir until everything is incorporated.
- If necessary, add a little additional pasta water for a smooth consistency. Season with salt & pepper as desired. Top with grated parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
Notes
Updated. Originally published March 2015.
Sara - The Organic Dietitian
Kale is one of my favorites. I love how you used it in this recipe.
Sherri @ Watch Learn Eat
This looks awesome! I love the flavor combination! Kale is so versatile!
Vicky @ Avocdo Pesto
You've got to give kale more chances -- there have to be ways that you would like it! Have you ever made kale chips? I love those! And kale pesto is obviously great use of it. YUM!
Jane @ littlesugarsnaps
I haven't had kale for um... about 3 years. Nothing against it, except I only ever get around to using it in a stirfry and then have to throow out the rest of the bag a week later. This recipe sounds so tempting (I love artichokes) that I may have to break my unintentional kalefast
Cristie | Little Big H
This sounds and look really delicious. Will have to give it a try...
Helen @ Fuss Free Flavours
i love kale pesto and your addition of artichoke hearts makes this dish even better!
Shiho
Looks fantastic. I have just planted Kale in my little veggie patch so when I harvested it, will make this recipe. Thank you for sharing.