Creamy Herby Parmesan Pesto Skillet Chicken

Begin by seasoning the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Be generous with your seasoning as it greatly enhances the flavor of the chicken.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken breasts and cook, turning them frequently, until they turn golden brown. This approximately takes 6 to 7 minutes on each side. Remember, perfect browning is key to achieve a distinctive flavor.

Once the chicken is cooked, remove them from the skillet, and set aside. Retaining the leftover juices in the skillet is an interesting trick I learned that addition the flavor of your sauce.

Using the same skillet, add the finely chopped garlic and sauté it for about 2 minutes until slightly golden. Make sure to keep an eye on the garlic as it can burn quite easily.

Stir in the pesto, heavy cream, and the Parmesan cheese into the skillet. Bring this mixture to a simmer, while continuing to stir, until the sauce thickens. This usually takes about 5 minutes.

Finally, return the chicken to the skillet and let it simmer in the sauce for another 3-4 minutes. This allows the chicken to absorb the flavors well.

Serve the Creamy Pesto Chicken hot, garnished with fresh basil leaves.