Spaghetti with Chicken and Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

You probably won't believe this especially with what I've been posting up on the blog and instagram lately but for most of last year, I barely ate pasta or pizza for diet reasons. It was hard but surprisingly I was able to manage it. Kinda funny since every time I go to an Italian restaurant, the first thing I look on the menu was always the pasta or 'primi' section. While I haven't been as strict with the diet these days, I still get that guilty feeling every time that slippery spaghetti lands in the mouth. However there has been different pasta alternatives available that are actually slightly better for the pasta addicts out there like myself.

The team at Barilla has kindly sent a package of their delicious pastas and sauces including the Wholegrain Spaghetti from their newly released Wholegrain range, which has got me intrigued. Like noodles, it's amazing how many recipes you can think of using pasta whether you like it creamy, tomato-based or without any sauce at all. Anyhow, it's been a while since I did a recipe post. Using the products provided by Barilla, ingredients purchased from the local supermarket and inspiration by a few recipes ideas from Taste, I was able to come up with the below recipe. 

Spaghetti with Chicken and Sun Dried Tomato Pesto 

Makes: 4 servings 

Ingredients:

375g Barilla Wholegrain Spaghetti (this can be used with any other dried thin pasta)
1 jar Barilla Sun-dried Tomato Pesto
400g chicken breast (tip: chop the chicken breast into smaller pieces before adding to pan)
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 garlic clove
Parmesan shavings, to serve

Method:

1. In a large frying pan, bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat (because my stove is takes a looong time to heat up, I used high heat).
2. Add the chicken breast and reduce the heat to the next level. Cook for 10-15 minutes (depending on your oven) then set aside for another 15 minutes or till it's cooked through.
3. Cook the pasta in a saucepan of boiling salted water until it's al dente.
4. Heat another frying pan using a drizzle of olive oil and a garlic clove.
5. Drain the pasta and return to the frying pan.
6. Add the chicken, parsley and Sun-dried Tomato Pesto to the pan and toss it for up to 5 minutes with the pasta.
7. Serve with parmesan shavings and left-over parsley. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: The Random Foodie received the pasta and pasta sauces courtesy of Barilla. All other ingredients were paid independently.