Creamy {keto} Pesto Chicken

Recipes

In 2016, Cole and I took our first journey to Italy together and visited the beautiful Cinque Terre area and were blown away by the views, the hospitality and the food! We found out while visiting one of the local wine shops that Cinque Terre, specifically the Old Town of Monterosso al Mare, is known for their fresh pesto SOOOO we took a little walk down to the shop to do a tasting. Boy oh boy was it amazing!! While speaking with the owner and talking about pesto dishes he mentioned that you can add cream with the pesto to make a creamy pesto sauce which is delicious on pastas, meats and veggies.

Fast forward to last weekend, Cole harvested tons of basil from our home garden so naturally I had to make pesto. Since we are still going keto strong I was trying to figure out a dish that we could make higher in fat featuring tons of protein hence the birth of my Creamy {keto} Pesto Chicken. And it was delicious — my girls even asked for 2nd helpings. If you aren’t keto trust me you will love it too and you can put it on pasta for an amazing dish.

Ingredients for Pesto Sauce:

  • 4 cups fresh basil
  • 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts (you will toast these in a small pan for a few moments until start to brown)
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Ingredients for Creamy Pesto Chicken:

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tbsp EVOO
  • 1/2 cup basil pesto
  • 1/4 cup cream (you can also substitute whole milk)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated, plus extra to top dish
  • pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 lb grilled chicken, chopped into bit size pieces
  • 3 large zucchinis, chopped into bite size pieces
  • handful of grape tomatoes, cut in half

Directions:

  • First you are going to make the basil pesto. In your food processor, add the basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan, salt and lemon juice. Pulse until it resembles a coarse meal. Then begin to drizzle in olive oil in to the food processor and pulse until well incorporated.
  • In a large skillet or pot, add the butter plus EVOO and melt over medium heat. Then add the zucchinis and grape tomatoes. Sprinkle with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Cook until the tomatoes are carmelizing and the zucchini has softened.
  • Next reduce the heat some to low and add the the pesto and creamy and stir until incorporated. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.
  • Lastly, add the chicken and stir to incorporate it all.
  • Plate the dish and top with additional freshly grated parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper flakes (optional). Enjoy!