Pesto Chicken Mug Pasta (+ Video)

It’s ONE WEEK until Christmas! How how how did that happen?

I have a lot of shopping to do and cookies to bake. And it has finally warmed up a bit so we have a lot of Christmas lights to check out, too.

Well, the week before Christmas can be busy, whether you’re finishing up a work deadline, travelling, or like me, trying to check things off your to-do list. So easy recipes are always welcome!

I think of this pesto chicken mug pasta recipe as more of a ‘New Years Resolutions’ kind of recipe, especially if that includes being more consistent in bringing your own lunch to work. But it’s also a great recipe  for this busy busy week coming up.

Today’s post is in partnership with CorningWare, who challenged me to come up with a recipe made in their Meal Mugs.

I have owned my Meal Mugs for years, and absolutely love them…in fact I’ve recommended them in previous posts (like these Healthy Homemade Instant Noodles). They are so great for re-heating soup, as their vented lid allows the steam to safely release, and there no risk of food splattering all over your microwave (who else hates it when that happens?!)

Not only that but they are freezer, oven, microwave AND dishwasher safe. (Do not put the lids in the oven, though). I’ve been slowly replacing all my plastic storage containers with glass and highly recommend these Meal Mugs if you are doing the same.

After using them for instant noodles and reheating soup, I thought hard to come up with a new way to use these Meal Mugs for a work lunch type of recipe…and decided on pasta. In the microwave!

After testing out a number of different microwave pasta recipes, I found the most hands off and successful recipe came from the CorningWare website itself. This recipe reproducibly gave me perfectly cooked pasta for a number of different shapes. See notes of the recipe card for which pasta shapes have been tested.

Don’t forget to pin this recipe to save it for later!

After cooking my mug pasta, I stirred in some pesto, cherry tomatoes, spinach and chicken, then microwaved for another 30 seconds- 1 minute. Then you stir in the cheese, sprinkle with some red pepper flakes and lunch is ready. All in under 10 minutes.

This pesto chicken mug pasta is so versatile! It would be great for:

• a work lunch (you could keep a stash of add-ins in your work fridge…how about a sundried tomato & mushroom version, or maybe white beans, kale & goat cheese?)
• those nights when you’re cooking for one (clean-up has never been easier!)
• an easy dorm room meal (no oven necessary)
• travelling

And to prove just how easy it is to make, I made a video for us!

You can get your very own stash of Meal Mugs on Amazon, at Walmart, Loblaws, Home Outfitters, London Drugs or on the World Kitchen Website.

Disclosure: Thank you to CorningWare for sponsoring this post. All opinions remain my own. Thanks so much for supporting the brands that support Sweet Peas & Saffron! 

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Pesto Chicken Mug Pasta

Course: Lunch

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 1

This pesto chicken mug pasta cooks up in the microwave in under 10 minutes for an easy and healthy lunch on the go!

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time10 mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup pasta see notes
• 1 cup water
• pinch salt
• 1.5 tablespoons pesto
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes halved
• 1/2 cup spinach torn
• 1/2 cup cooked chicken breast cubed
• 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
• pinch red pepper flakes

Instructions

• Place the pasta and ⅔ cup of water in a meal mug. Sprinkle with salt.
• Place a paper towel under the mug, and heat on high (NO LID) for 5 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
• After the 5 minutes is up, stir the pasta and add the remaining ⅓ cup of water. Heat for 2-3 more minutes (NO LID), or until pasta is cooked through.
• Stir in the pesto until pasta is coated. Add in the tomatoes, spinach and chicken, then microwave on high for 30 seconds-1 minute (LID ON), until spinach is wilted and tomatoes are soft.
• Stir in the cheese, sprinkle with red pepper flakes, and enjoy!

Notes

This recipe works great with small pasta shapes. I've successfully tested macaroni, fusili and penne.

Recipe adapted from Corningware