A weeknight dinner that lets your shelf-ready basil pesto chicken do the work. Slice it into a pan, warm it through with fresh greens and garlic, then toss into pasta for a meal that comes together in twenty minutes flat.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 18 at the stove.

About 580 calories a serving, 28 g protein, 71 g carbohydrate, 20 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook 6 ounces of pasta until just tender, about 9 minutes; reserve 1 cup of the water before you drain it.10 min
2. While the pasta cooks, slice the basil pesto chicken package into half-inch strips and mince 2 garlic cloves.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the minced garlic, stirring for 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. Add the sliced chicken and 4 ounces of fresh spinach or arugula to the pan, stirring occasionally until the greens wilt and the chicken warms through, about 3 minutes.3 min
5. Toss the drained pasta into the skillet with the chicken and greens, adding 3 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water to loosen everything; taste and adjust salt and pepper.
6. Halve a lemon and squeeze its juice over the top, tossing once more to combine.

Note Swap the spinach for chopped fresh tomatoes or roasted red peppers if you prefer. Leftovers keep in the refrigerator for two days and are good cold or reheated gently. Serve with crusty bread or a simple green salad alongside.