Chicken with Spinach Tagliatelle and Parsley Pesto Recipe

By
Yvonne Ruperti
A photo of Yvonne Ruperti, a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Yvonne Ruperti
Yvonne Ruperti is a food writer, recipe developer, former bakery owner, and cookbook author. She is also an adjust professor of baking at the Culinary Institute of America in Singapore.
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Updated Apr. 02, 2020
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For the love of green. . Yvonne Ruperti

Notes: For the chicken brine, if using table salt, decrease the salt by 50 percent.

Recipe Details

Chicken with Spinach Tagliatelle and Parsley Pesto Recipe

Active 20 mins
Total 80 mins
Serves 4 servings

Ingredients

  • Kosher salt

  • Sugar

  • 12 ounces boneless, skinless, chicken breast (about 2 small breast halves)

  • 4 cups lightly packed Italian parsley leaves

  • 1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

  • 4 medium cloves garlic

  • 1/3 cup olive oil, plus extra for greasing pan

  • 1/4 teaspoon chile flakes

  • 3 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated, plus extra for serving on side

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 pound fresh spinach tagliatelle

  • 6 ounces baby spinach

Directions

  1. In large container, dissolve 1/4 cup salt and 2 tablespoons sugar in 2 cups warm water. Place chicken in brine and chill for one hour.

  2. While chicken is brining, place parsley, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and chili flakes in food processor. Pulse until smooth. Transfer to bowl and stir in Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

  3. Remove chicken from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Halve chicken pieces on the bias so that the pieces are of approximately equal 1/4- to 1/2-inch thickness. Heat grill pan over medium heat. Lightly brush surface with oil and cook chicken until just cooked through (an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of chicken should read 150 to 155°F), 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to cutting board and let rest 5 minutes. Slice into 1/4-inch slices.

  4. Bring 4 quarts of salted water to boil in large pot over high heat. Add pasta and cook to al dente. Drain and return to pot, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Stir in pesto and baby spinach until wilted. Season to taste and stir in chicken. Stir in extra pasta water to thin sauce to desired consistency. Serve with extra grated Parmesan on the side.

Special Equipment

Food processor, non-stick grill pan

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
566 Calories
39g Fat
24g Carbs
35g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 566
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 39g 50%
Saturated Fat 7g 37%
Cholesterol 83mg 28%
Sodium 1104mg 48%
Total Carbohydrate 24g 9%
Dietary Fiber 6g 20%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 35g
Vitamin C 100mg 501%
Calcium 430mg 33%
Iron 10mg 54%
Potassium 1248mg 27%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)