PESTO CHICKEN, TORTELLINI, AND VEGGIES

Pesto Chicken, Tortellini, and Veggies – healthy, easy-to-make Mediterranean-style dinner that is good for you and it tastes like comfort food!

This recipe uses basil pesto and tortellini too – and you can buy both in most grocery stores. Which makes this recipe a great and healthy choice for a weeknight dinner, when you don’t have that much time to cook.   Just buy some tortellini and pesto (plus chicken and veggies) in the store, and quickly make this pesto chicken tortellini with veggies.

This easy chicken recipe is packed with colorful vegetables: red and yellow grape tomatoes, asparagus, and sun-dried tomatoes, combined with the delicious cheese tortellini.   Everything is generously smothered with basil pesto and olive oil.   I love how well-balanced this dish turned out to be thanks to the combination of the veggies, healthy oils (olive oil and basil pesto), protein (chicken), and a moderate amount of carbs (tortellini).

Pesto Chicken, Tortellini, and Veggies Recipe

Mediterranean style dinner packed with colorful vegetables: red and yellow grape tomatoes, asparagus, and sun-dried tomatoes.  All these veggies are combined with the delicious cheese tortellini and generously smothered with basil pesto and olive oil.



Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb chicken thighs boneless and skinless, sliced into strips
• salt
• 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes drained of oil, chopped
• 1 lb asparagus ends trimmed, cut in half
• 1/4 cup basil pesto or use more
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes yellow and red, halved
• 1 cup tortellini uncooked

Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet on medium heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, add sliced chicken thighs, season chicken generously with salt, add half of chopped sun-dried tomatoes - and cook everything on medium heat for 5-10 minutes, flipping a couple of times, until the chicken is completely cooked through.
2. Remove the chicken and sun-dried from the skillet, leaving the oil in.
3. Add asparagus (ends trimmed), seasoned generously with salt, remaining half of sun-dried tomatoes, and cook on medium heat for 5-10 minutes until the asparagus is cooked through. Remove the asparagus to a serving plate.
4. Cook tortellini according to the package instructions, drain.
5. Add chicken back to the skillet, add pesto, stir to coat on low-medium heat until the chicken is reheated, 1 or 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add tortellini, halved cherry tomatoes, mix with the pesto and the chicken. Add more pesto if desired. Taste, and add more salt if needed. Add chicken and tomatoes and tortellini to the serving plate with asparagus

Nutrition Facts

Pesto Chicken, Tortellini, and Veggies

Amount Per Serving

Calories 505Calories from Fat 306

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 34g52%

Saturated Fat 7g35%

Cholesterol 122mg41%

Sodium 376mg16%

Potassium 856mg24%

Total Carbohydrates 24g8%

Dietary Fiber 5g20%

Sugars 7g

Protein 27g54%

Vitamin A30.4%

Vitamin C22.3%

Calcium11.3%

Iron28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Recipe Adapted : PESTO CHICKEN, TORTELLINI, AND VEGGIES @ juliasalbum