Creamy Basil Pesto Chicken Pasta

Method

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil and cook the pasta until just short of done.
2. While it cooks, heat the olive oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat and brown the chicken in a single layer. Season well.
3. Turn the heat down, pour in the cream and let it bubble gently for two minutes.
4. Stir in the pesto and take the pan off the heat. Adding it off the heat keeps the basil bright.
5. Drain the pasta, keeping a mug of the cooking water, and tip it into the pan.
6. Toss everything together, loosening with the pasta water a splash at a time until the sauce coats rather than sits.
7. Finish with grated cheese, black pepper and a squeeze of lemon.

Cook's notes

Adding pesto off the heat matters more than it sounds. Boiled pesto turns dull and loses most of what you paid for.

Keeping it

Best eaten straight away. Leftovers keep for a day in the fridge and are better reheated gently with a splash of milk.