Pesto Chicken Pasta

This is dinner for nights when you want something that actually feels like a meal but don't want to cook much. Boxed penne gets tossed with jarred pesto and shredded rotisserie chicken, with a splash of the starchy pasta water to pull it all together into a sauce. It's an easy way to hit a solid protein number without turning on more than one pot, and it reheats well if you want to portion it out for lunches during the week.

Ingredients

• 1 lbpenne pasta, or any short pasta shape
• 1 cupjarred pesto
• 3 cupsRotisserie chicken, shredded
• 1 tbspsalt, for the pasta water

Method

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the salt. 5:00
2. Add the penne and cook according to the package directions until just tender. 10:00
3. Before draining, scoop out about half a cup of the pasta water and set it aside, then drain the pasta in a colander.
4. Return the pasta to the pot and add the pesto and shredded chicken.
5. Toss everything together, splashing in the reserved pasta water a little at a time until the sauce coats the noodles. Serve right away.