Recipe: Chicken, Pesto and Zucchini Linguine

From the article How to Hide Zucchini in Your Picky Eaters’ Snacks and Meals

Chicken, Pesto and Zucchini Linguine

This is seriously versatile, so omit the mushrooms and add peas or broccoli if your children prefers them, swap linguine for gluten free pasta (or make zucchini noodles), or even swap the pesto for a glug of tomato pasta sauce if preferred. You can also take out the chicken or swap with chopped bacon if you like. The secret winner is the grated courgette (which you can peel to make even more under cover!), which tastes fabulous when simply stir-fried.

Serves 4

350g linguine or a pasta of your choice
1 tbsp olive oil
450g skinless chicken breast, sliced
150g mushrooms sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
450g (about 2) courgettes, grated
3 heaped tbsp pesto, homemade or good quality jarred
3 heaped tbsp creme fraiche or cream
3 heaped tbsp low fat cream cheese
50g grated parmesan

Cook the linguine according to the packet instructions, then drain, reserving a little of the cooking water. Meanwhile, fry the chicken in olive oil over a high heat until browned all over. Add the mushrooms and garlic and stir-fry for a minute before adding the courgettes. Toss over the heat for a minute or two, then once most of the liquid has evaporated, stir in the pestp, crème fraiche, cream cheese and parmesan. Taste for seasoning, then add to the drained pasta. Add a little of the cooking liquid if needed. Serve with extra parmesan on the side.