Creamy Chicken Penne Pasta

25 mins for prep

Dinner

Easy

4 x serving(s) $4 / serving

{"autoplay":"true","autoplay_speed":"3000","speed":"300","arrows":"true","dots":"true","rtl":"false"}

Team I have been put on this world for a reason, to make you enjoy delicious pasta guilt free that also helps you hit your goals.

If you have not noticed… i love pasta… in fact there was a moment throughout my adolescent where we would have it every night of the week, thanks to the best mum in the world!

But if you are quite an active legend, it is a great way to get the energy you need into your system in the most delicious way. Creamy chicken penne is a very popular order, however it can be extremely heavy… and the fat can have an effect on how quickly you absorb the necessary protein and carbs.

But with this one, I am ditching the heavy cream, cranking up the protein, and keeping ALL the flavor. The secret? Tofu. Yeah, trust me on this one.

For Meal Prepping ideas and to learn how to eat to improve your performance sign up to my free newsletter HERE called Legendary

Ingredients

Marinade:

16oz packet of penne pasta
3 Tbsp of Olive Oil
1lb of chicken thighs, skinless, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 Packet of baby Spinach
1 bunch of fresh Basil
5 cloves, Garlic, crushed
8oz firm tofu
Pinch of Salt & pepper
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
Juice of a lemon

1 punnet of grape tomatoes, halved

Method

Boil a small pot of water, add salt, and prepare an ice bath. Blanch spinach and basil for 15 seconds, then transfer to the ice bath. Drain and squeeze dry (or skip and blend directly if short on time).
Boil salted water for pasta and cook. Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp oil in a pan, sauté onion and garlic for 3 minutes, then transfer to a blender. Add another Tbsp oil, cook chicken until golden (3-4 minutes).
In the blender, combine spinach, basil, half the tomatoes, lemon juice, tofu, salt, pepper, remaining olive oil, and half the parmesan. Blend until smooth, adding pasta water if needed.
Sear the remaining tomatoes for 2 minutes in the chicken pan, then add the pesto sauce. Drain pasta, reserve some water, and toss everything together. Adjust seasoning and consistency with reserved water.
Serve with remaining parmesan!