5 min prep10 min cookEasy

Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta

Seared chicken and edamame spaghetti in a creamy yogurt-pesto sauce with Parmesan

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The ultimate chicken-meets-pesto pasta. Golden-brown seared chicken breast is tossed with edamame spaghetti in a silky sauce made by whisking Greek yogurt with traditional green pesto. The yogurt replaces the heavy cream, the edamame replaces the wheat — and you end up with 52g of protein at only 375 calories. Finished with a generous shower of Parmesan.

📊Nutrition

Per serving

0kcalCalories

0gProtein

0gFats

0gCarbs

Pasta & Protein

40gDry edamame spaghetti (or soybean pasta)
100gFresh chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

Creamy Pesto Sauce

50gPlain non-fat (0%) Greek yogurt or fat-free cottage cheese
15gTraditional green pesto
1 cloveGarlic, finely minced
10gGrated Parmesan cheese
as neededZero-calorie cooking spray
to tasteSalt and freshly ground black pepper

👨‍🍳Method

Boil the Pasta

3-5 min

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the edamame or soybean pasta according to the package directions (usually 3-5 minutes). Drain the pasta, reserving about 2 tablespoons of the starchy pasta water, and set aside.

Cook the Chicken

4-5 min

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and coat it lightly with zero-calorie cooking spray. Add the diced chicken breast, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 4-5 minutes until golden brown and cooked completely through.

Add Aromatics

30 sec

Reduce the heat to low. Add the minced garlic to the skillet with the chicken and sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Remove the skillet completely from the heat.

Make it Creamy

1 min

In a small bowl, whisk together the plain non-fat Greek yogurt and the traditional green pesto until smooth and combined.

💡Mixing the yogurt and pesto separately first ensures even distribution — no pesto pockets, no yogurt clumps.

Combine and Coat

1-2 min

Add the cooked pasta and the creamy pesto mixture directly into the warm skillet with the chicken (ensure it is off the heat so the yogurt doesn't separate). Add a small splash of the reserved pasta water. Toss everything vigorously until the sauce becomes silky and perfectly coats the noodles and chicken.

💡Off-heat is non-negotiable here — the residual warmth is enough to make the sauce cling. Direct flame will curdle the yogurt.

Garnish and Serve