LunchHigh Protein
Chicken Pesto Protein Pasta
45g protein, comfort-food macros that still cut.
Prep
5m
Cook
15m
Total
20m
Servings
2
kcal
555
Protein
45g
Carbs
58g
Fat
16g
Macros per serving
Overview
Why it works
High-protein pasta tossed with grilled chicken, pesto, cherry tomatoes, and parmesan.
- Lentil/chickpea pasta nearly doubles the protein per serving.
- Pesto delivers fats + flavor without sauce-bloat.
- Tomatoes burst and become the sauce.
Ingredients
Ingredients · 2 servings
- 160 g high-protein pasta
- 250 g chicken breast, cubed
- 2 tbsp pesto
- 150 g cherry tomatoes
- 20 g parmesan
- Olive oil, salt, pepper, basil
Instructions
Step by step
- 1
Boil pasta to al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup water.
- 2
Sear chicken in oil + salt, 5–6 min.
- 3
Add tomatoes, burst them 2 min.
- 4
Toss in pasta + pesto + a splash of pasta water.
- 5
Plate, shower with parmesan and basil.
Pro Tips
Coach-level details
- Toast pine nuts on top for extra crunch.
- A squeeze of lemon brightens the whole bowl.
Storage & Swaps
Keep it, swap it, save it
Storage
- Keeps 3 days.
- Reheat with splash of water.
- Label containers with the prep date.
Smart swaps
- Shrimp instead of chicken.
- Sundried tomato pesto for variation.
Pair with a program
Eating right is half the result.
Plug this recipe into an Onyx program for the other half - periodized training that actually moves the needle.