Air Fryer Pesto Pasta with Crispy Chicken
Pesto, chicken, and pasta. What could be better than this dreamy combo?
Servings: 4
Equipment
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into chunks
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
For the pesto pasta
- 1 pound pasta
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 1 clove garlic or more, to taste
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
For the Caprese salad
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/2 cup mozzarella balls halved
- 1 tbsp chopped basil
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp olive oil
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer (or oven) to 400ºF. Whisk egg in a shallow bowl and combine breadcrumbs and seasonings in a separate shallow bowl. Add 5-6 chicken bites to the egg mixture at a time. Shake off excess egg and place chicken in the breadcrumb mixture, coating all sides.
- Bake the chicken in the air fryer for 15-20 minutes, stopping half way through to redistribute the pieces if need be. Or bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- While the chicken bakes, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Combine olive oil, Parmesan cheese, basil, garlic, and sea salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until completely combined.
- In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the Caprese salad. Divide among four meal prep containers, putting the salad in the small compartment.
- Drain the pasta and add it to a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the pesto to the skillet and toss to coat. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, just enough to integrate the pesto and noodles and warm them.
- Divide the pesto pasta among the 4 meal prep containers and top with 5 to 6 pieces of chicken. Seal and refrigerate until it's time to eat!
