NST kitchen · dinner
Chicken pesto tagliatelle with tomatoes and rocket
Broad ribbons of pasta, browned chicken and a green pesto coating, finished with tomatoes and peppery rocket. A splash of pasta water helps distribute the pesto without turning it into a heavy sauce.
- Prep (est.)
- 10 min
- Cook (est.)
- 20 min
- Total (est.)
- 30 min
- Base servings
- 2
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Ingredients
Quantities adjust; cooking times do not. Choose a suitable pan and check doneness. Small spice amounts are approximate; weigh fractional whole ingredients where needed. Changing servings clears the ingredient checklist.
This recipe adjusts up to 2 servings. For more, cook separate batches rather than crowding the pan.
Ingredients for 2 servings.
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You will need
- Hob, large pasta saucepan and wide non-stick frying pan, approximately 26 cm
- Colander, heatproof measuring jug, kitchen scales and measuring spoons
- Tongs, spoon and separate boards and utensils for raw chicken and clean salad
- Clean food thermometer, serving plates and shallow containers for a planned leftover portion
- Fridge thermometer for checking chilled storage
Let's make it
The method
0 of 6 steps marked
Keep your place for this page visit. Ticks do not confirm doneness or food safety; follow every cooking and storage instruction.
Step 1. Prepare the salad components first
Wash and halve the tomatoes and prepare the rocket as its pack requires. Drain thoroughly and keep chilled in a clean bowl. Measure the pesto and lemon juice and prepare garlic. Keep clean salad away from raw chicken and its utensils.
Step 2. Start the pasta
Bring the pack-specified amount of water to a boil, add the selected dry pasta amount and complete the pack's cooking method. The ribbons should be tender to bite, not hard in the centre. Before draining, carefully scoop up to the listed cooking-water allowance into the heatproof jug and keep it safely out of the way. Drain the pasta without rinsing.
Step 3. Brown and fully cook the chicken
Prepare raw chicken on its separate board, then wash hands and clean contacted surfaces. Do not rinse raw chicken. Heat oil over medium heat, add chicken in a single layer and turn regularly. About 8–12 minutes is a guide, not a guarantee. Check the thickest pieces with a clean probe: their centres must reach 75°C for 30 seconds. Continue as necessary, reducing heat if the surface browns too quickly. Clean the probe between checks and use clean tongs for cooked pieces.
Step 4. Add garlic
Once the chicken is fully cooked, lower the heat, add garlic and stir for around 30–60 seconds until fragrant without letting it scorch. Take the pan off the heat. Keep the chicken in the pan while immediately finishing the pasta; do not set it aside for an extended wait.
Step 5. Coat the pasta
Add drained pasta, pesto and lemon juice to the pan off the heat. Toss gently with tongs, adding reserved cooking water a little at a time until pesto coats the ribbons. You may not need the full allowance. If the selected pesto requires a different preparation, follow its label rather than this ready-to-eat assembly step.
Step 6. Finish and serve
Fold in clean rocket and halved tomatoes just before serving; they may soften in the hot pasta but need not cook into a sauce. Add pepper if wanted. Divide between the selected portions and serve promptly with chicken hot throughout. No extra unidentified garnish from the photograph is required.
Make it work for you
Swaps & variations
- Swap pasta shape by dry weight using that pack's water and cooking method; cooking times and appearance will differ.
- Baby spinach can replace rocket by prepared weight, following its wash or ready-to-eat label. This variation is untested and changes the pictured leaves.
- Use another ready-to-eat pesto only after checking ingredients, dietary suitability and storage. A nut-free product name or vegan label does not by itself establish an allergen-free meal.
- To omit chicken, develop a separate recipe rather than claiming this dish becomes nutritionally equivalent; no equivalence has been calculated.
Recipe notes & sources
Sources support the points stated below; they are not evidence that NST has cooked or tested this recipe.
- FSA cooking guidance
Thorough poultry cooking, thermometer hygiene and single reheating, not validation of this original recipe or its estimated time.
Checked 2026-10-14 - FSA cross-contamination guidance
Separate raw chicken and clean salad preparation, and not rinsing poultry; not an NST cooking test.
Checked 2026-10-14 - FSA chilling, freezing and defrosting
General prompt cooling, refrigeration and leftover handling, not measured shelf life for this pasta or pesto.
Checked 2026-10-14 - FSA produce and date-label guidance
Washing fresh produce and respecting product dates; not proof of the photographed leaf species or recipe ingredients.
Checked 2026-10-14 - FSA allergy advice
Exact labels and cross-contact; no particular pesto or pasta clearance and no allergen-free meal claim.
Checked 2026-10-14 - Lisa Fotios's chicken pasta photograph
Photo identity, creator and real original pixels inspected. Not the source of NST quantities or method, or proof of pesto formulation, allergens or nutrition.
Checked 2026-10-14 - Pexels licence
Free website/social reuse subject to the licence restrictions, without endorsement, trademark use or unaltered resale. Does not establish recipe approval.
Checked 2026-10-14
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