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Main Course

Chicken & Basil Pasta

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Quick, easy and tasty. This Chicken & Basil Pasta is the perfect midweek meal that is deliciously creamy but healthier than you might think. 

My take on a recipe

One of my favourite things about cooking is being able to adapt recipes. When I was at school, I would make a chicken and basil pasta that used double cream and dried basil.

I think it was a Nigel Slater recipe but I could be wrong.

It is a delicious recipe, but double cream isn’t an everyday ingredient in my opinion. I love cream, but I prefer to look for healthier alternatives.

Go-to creamy pasta sauce

Low fat cream cheese is my go-to base for creamy pasta sauces. It provides a deliciously creamy sauce but with a fraction of the calories that you might find in other sauces.

It is also a great ingredient to keep in your fridge. It has quite a long expiry date on it so I tend to always have at least one low fat and one full fat cream cheese in the fridge.

The low fat is so I can whip up a tasty pasta sauce and the full fat is for cream cheese frosting.

So quick and easy

When I say this Chicken & Basil Pasta is quick and easy I really mean it. You can make this meal in twenty minutes which is perfect for a midweek dinner. If you have any leftovers it is great for lunch the next day too.

Although I love fresh basil, if you don’t have any you can use dried or frozen basil. This would make this recipe even easier to make!

Do I have to use linguine?

Not at all. I used linguine because I like it, you can use whatever pasta you like or happen to have in the cupboard. This Chicken & Basil Pasta can easily be made gluten free by using gluten free pasta and flour.

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  • Easy Cheese & Broccoli Pasta
  • Sausage, Mustard & Basil Pasta
  • Skinny Creamy Chicken Sausage Pasta
  • Skinny Chicken Fajita Pasta
  • Air Fryer Garlic Bread

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5 from 5 votes
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Chicken & Basil Pasta

Quick, easy and tasty. This Chicken & Basil Pasta is the perfect midweek meal that is deliciously creamy but healthier than you might think. 

Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian, British
Keyword Chicken, Pasta, Basil
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 2
Calories 595 kcal
Author Curly

Ingredients

  • 150 g pasta
  • 200 g chicken breast (1 breast)
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • pinch black pepper
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 100 g low fat cream cheese
  • 40 ml semi skimmed milk
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 30 g Parmesan finely grated
  • 10-15 basil leaves

Instructions

  1. Cook your pasta in salted boiling water as per the packet's instructions 

  2. Cut the chicken into fine slices 

  3. Add the olive oil to a pan on a medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken and stir until it is golden brown 

  4. Turn the heat to low and add the salt, pepper and garlic 

  5. In a separate bowl, mix together the low fat cream cheese, milk and flour 

  6. Once the pasta is cooked but still al dente (with a slight bite), add it to the chicken. Make sure you reserve the water the pasta has cooked in 

  7. Add the cream cheese mixture and stir through. Add a splash of pasta water to loosen the sauce to your preference 

  8. Add the Parmesan and tear in the basil. Stir through and serve immediately 

Nutrition Facts
Chicken & Basil Pasta
Amount Per Serving
Calories 595 Calories from Fat 153
% Daily Value*
Fat 17g26%
Saturated Fat 8g50%
Cholesterol 102mg34%
Sodium 1186mg52%
Potassium 688mg20%
Carbohydrates 64g21%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 41g82%
Vitamin A 530IU11%
Vitamin C 1.2mg1%
Calcium 291mg29%
Iron 1.6mg9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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7 Comments

Previous Post: « Korean Chicken Wings
Next Post: Potato & Thyme Stacks »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Helen - Cooking with my kids says

    June 4, 2019 at 1:33 pm

    5 stars
    This looks delicious. I feel the same as you about cream. I rarely have it or use it so am always trying different substitutes. #cookblogshare

    Reply
  2. Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food says

    June 4, 2019 at 3:30 pm

    5 stars
    Ooohh, the double cream version sounds yummy too—but so DECADENT! I love the tweaks you’ve made to lower the calories. This sounds like just the comfort food fix I need!

    Reply
  3. Donna says

    June 4, 2019 at 5:02 pm

    5 stars
    oo this sounds yummy! I’d happily eat pasta every day I think, and absolutely with the double cream!

    Reply
  4. Jacqui Bellefontaine says

    June 5, 2019 at 1:08 pm

    5 stars
    Love simple quick pasta dishes like this perfect for mid week. Thank you for linking to #CookBlogShare

    Reply
  5. Hannah says

    June 9, 2019 at 6:06 am

    This looks absolutely delicious! So perfectly creamy – which is perfect with the chicken and basil!

    Reply
  6. Claire says

    August 17, 2020 at 5:01 pm

    5 stars
    So so tasty and really easy to make! Great for a quick dinner

    Reply
    • Curly says

      August 17, 2020 at 10:08 pm

      Perfect for a quick midweek meal isn’t it 🙂

      Reply
5 from 5 votes

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Hi, I'm Cat aka Curly. I'm a home cook that likes nothing better than a day in the kitchen baking and cooking. Whether its sweet or savoury, in my mind food is always the answer. Meet Curly

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