Spinach & Toasted Pumpkin Seed Pesto Pasta

The recipe Spinach & Toasted Pumpkin Seed Pesto Pasta can be made in around 45 minutes. One serving contains 565 calories, 22g of protein, and 26g of fat. For $1.46 per serving, you get a main course that serves 6. 2 people found this recipe to be delicious and satisfying. A mixture of colorful pasta, salt, olive oil, and a handful of other ingredients are all it takes to make this recipe so yummy. It is brought to you by Foodista. Overall, this recipe earns a solid spoonacular score of 79%. If you like this recipe, you might also like recipes such as California Wheat Berry Bowl With Toasted Pumpkin Seed Pesto, Pesto Pasta with Lemon, Spinach, Edamame & Toasted Almonds, and Pesto Pasta with Lemon, Spinach, Edamame & Toasted Almonds.

Servings: 6

Preparation duration: -1 minutes

Cooking duration: -1 minutes

 

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breast halves

1 lemon (juice only)

3 tbsp cooking fat (I used rendered chicken fat, but butter or olive oil will do nicely)

salt, pepper, dry oregano

3 packed cups baby spinach

1 lemon - juice and zest

1/3 cups (or more) olive oil

3-4 scallions, green serving only

2-3 cloves garlic

1 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

3-4 Tbs chopped parsley

salt, pepper

1 lbs colorful pasta, not too small

1/2 tbsp coarse salt for toasting pumpkin seeds

3 shavings of parmesan into each bowl at serving

Equipment:

pot

frying pan

bowl

Cooking instruction summary:

Start by boiling water for pasta in a large pot. Add some salt and olive oil to prevent pasta from sticking. When water is boiling, add pasta, stir, reduce heat to medium and cook until ready (9-12 minutes, depending on pasta type). Drain an set aside. While pasta is cooking, prepare the rest of the components simultaneously. Start by heating the cooking fat in a skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle chicken breast halves with salt, pepper and dry oregano all over. Place chicken in heated oil and cook on both sides for a short time (1 minute each). Add juice of 1 lemon to the skillet, reduce heat to medium/low and continue cooking, turning occasionally, until done (about 10 - 12 minutes). Set aside. If toasting pumpkin seeds, put 1/2 tbsp of coarse salt in a small (preferably cast iron) skillet over medium heat. Add pumpkin seeds. Toast seeds for a few minutes, stirring or shaking frequently, until they start to crack and turn golden. Turn off the heat and leave pumpkin seeds in the skillet until cool. When move seeds away from salt before using them. It won't be hard, because they are lighter than coarse salt. Discard the salt. Now you are ready to prepare pesto. Reserve 1-2 tbsp of pumpkin seeds for garnish. Put the remaining pumpkin seeds and the rest of the pesto ingredients in a processor and hit pulse a few times at first, allowing everything to settle. Now turn the processor on and see if pesto is thin enough (consistency of pancake batter). If not, add a little more olive oil and/or lemon juice as you work the pesto. Slice or dice cooked chicken breasts. Assemble your dish in serving bowls: pasta, chicken, pesto, pumpkin seed sprinkle and shaved or grated parmesan. Now inhale deeply and try to say Spinach & Pumpkin Seed Pesto Chicken Pasta Bowl three times in a row fast. That's it!

 

Step by step:


1. Start by boiling water for pasta in a large pot.

2. Add some salt and olive oil to prevent pasta from sticking. When water is boiling, add pasta, stir, reduce heat to medium and cook until ready (9-12 minutes, depending on pasta type).

3. Drain an set aside.

4. While pasta is cooking, prepare the rest of the components simultaneously.

5. Start by heating the cooking fat in a skillet over medium heat.

6. Sprinkle chicken breast halves with salt, pepper and dry oregano all over.

7. Place chicken in heated oil and cook on both sides for a short time (1 minute each).

8. Add juice of 1 lemon to the skillet, reduce heat to medium/low and continue cooking, turning occasionally, until done (about 10 - 12 minutes). Set aside.

9. If toasting pumpkin seeds, put 1/2 tbsp of coarse salt in a small (preferably cast iron) skillet over medium heat.

10. Add pumpkin seeds. Toast seeds for a few minutes, stirring or shaking frequently, until they start to crack and turn golden. Turn off the heat and leave pumpkin seeds in the skillet until cool. When move seeds away from salt before using them. It won't be hard, because they are lighter than coarse salt. Discard the salt.

11. Now you are ready to prepare pesto.

12. Reserve 1-2 tbsp of pumpkin seeds for garnish.

13. Put the remaining pumpkin seeds and the rest of the pesto ingredients in a processor and hit pulse a few times at first, allowing everything to settle. Now turn the processor on and see if pesto is thin enough (consistency of pancake batter). If not, add a little more olive oil and/or lemon juice as you work the pesto.

14. Slice or dice cooked chicken breasts.

15. Assemble your dish in serving bowls: pasta, chicken, pesto, pumpkin seed sprinkle and shaved or grated parmesan.

16. Now inhale deeply and try to say Spinach & Pumpkin Seed Pesto Chicken Pasta Bowl three times in a row fast. That's it!


Nutrition Information:

Quickview
565 Calories
22g Protein
26g Total Fat
60g Carbs
31% Health Score
Limit These
Calories
565k
28%

Fat
26g
41%

  Saturated Fat
5g
32%

Carbohydrates
60g
20%

  Sugar
2g
3%

Cholesterol
29mg
10%

Sodium
71mg
3%

Get Enough Of These
Protein
22g
45%

Vitamin K
130µg
124%

Selenium
61µg
88%

Manganese
1mg
72%

Phosphorus
381mg
38%

Magnesium
135mg
34%

Vitamin A
1661IU
33%

Vitamin B3
6mg
30%

Vitamin B6
0.47mg
23%

Copper
0.42mg
21%

Vitamin E
2mg
19%

Iron
3mg
18%

Fiber
4g
17%

Zinc
2mg
16%

Potassium
537mg
15%

Folate
61µg
15%

Vitamin C
12mg
15%

Vitamin B5
1mg
10%

Vitamin B1
0.15mg
10%

Vitamin B2
0.15mg
9%

Calcium
70mg
7%

Vitamin D
0.35µg
2%

Vitamin B12
0.08µg
1%

covered percent of daily need
Widget by spoonacular.com

 

Suggested for you

Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Cook the Book: Mac and Cheese with Soubise
BB Monday: Brownie Cookies
Green Bean Casserole
Vegan Tomato, Chickpea, and Sweet Potato Soup
Red Wine Marinated Flank Steak #grassfedmoms
Blueberry Lavender Jam Ice Cream
Pork Chops in Orange Sauce
Semisweet Chocolate and Peanut Bars
Stuffed Eggplants in Garlic Sauce
Food Trivia

Scientists can turn peanut butter into diamonds.

Food Joke

A Change In Plans Source: "Today's Woman" magazine, Barbara A Tyler. Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving. I'm telling you in advance, so don't act surprised. Since Ms. Stewart won't be coming, I've made a few small changes: Our sidewalk will not be lined with homemade, paper bag luminaries. After a trial run, it was decided that no matter how cleverly done, rows of flaming lunch sacks do not have the desired welcoming effect. The dining table will not be covered with expensive linens, fancy China or crystal goblets. If possible, we will use dishes that match and everyone will get a fork. Since this IS Thanksgiving, we will refrain from using the plastic Peter Rabbit plate and the Santa napkins from last Christmas. Our centerpiece will not be the tower of fresh fruit and flowers that I promised. Instead we will be displaying a hedgehog-like decoration hand-crafted from the finest construction paper. The artist assures me it is a turkey. We will be dining fashionably late. The children will entertain you while you wait. I'm sure they will be happy to share every choice comment I have made regarding Thanksgiving, pilgrims and the turkey hotline. Please remember that most of these comments were made at 5:00 AM upon discovering that the turkey was still hard enough to cut diamonds. As accompaniment to the children's recital, I will play a recording of tribal drumming. If the children should mention that I don't own a recording of tribal drumming, or that tribal drumming sounds suspiciously like a frozen turkey in a clothes dryer, ignore them. They are lying. We toyed with the idea of ringing a dainty silver bell to announce the start of our feast. In the end, we chose to keep our traditional method. We've also decided against a formal seating arrangement. When the smoke alarm sounds, please gather around the table and sit where you like. In the spirit of harmony, we will ask the children to sit at a separate table. In a separate room. Next door. Now I know you have all seen pictures of one person carving a turkey in front of a crowd of appreciative onlookers. This will not be happening at our dinner. For safety reasons, the turkey will be carved in a private ceremony. I stress "private" meaning: Do not, under any circumstances, enter the kitchen to laugh at me. Do not send small, unsuspecting children to check on my progress. I have an electric knife. The turkey is unarmed. It stands to reason that I will eventually win. When I do, we will eat. Before I forget, there is one last change. Instead of offering a choice between 12 different scrumptious desserts, we will be serving the traditional pumpkin pie, garnished with whipped cream and small fingerprints. You will still have a choice: take it or leave it. Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving. She probably won't come next year either. I am thankful.

Popular Recipes
Smokey Rosemary-Mustard Chicken Drumsticks

Caras Cravings

Spicy Carrot Hummus

Betty Crocker

Dinner Tonight: Helen Chen's Pork and Cucumber Stir Fry

Serious Eats

Cranberry meringue roulade

BBC Good Food

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes in Support of Food Bloggers for Slave Free Tomatoes

Cravings of a Lunatic