Is there anything more basic than pesto pasta? It’s a go-to dish for anyone who is less comfortable cooking but still wants the comfort of a home cooked meal. My mum always used to make this for us and, even though everyone else in my family found it boring, as a fussy teenager, I asked for it all the time! As always, I get all my delicious veggies from The Fresh Fruit Shop.

It’s also packed full of vegetables, so it’s pretty healthy! If you want to make your own pesto, you can check out my recipe here, otherwise, store-bought is totally fine! Let me know if you decide to make it – comment below and be sure to tag me in your photos  @theglasgowdiet on Instagram!

Mum’s Pesto Pasta

Ingredients (serves 4-5)
3-4 chicken breasts (about 450g)
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
75ml double cream
375g fusilli pasta
1 large carrot, sliced into rounds
200g tenderstem broccoli, trimmed
130g baby corn
75g basil pesto
2 tbsp parmesan, grated

Method
1. Slash each of the chicken breasts a few times (not all the way through) with a sharp knife, then place them in a dish with the soy sauce, honey, mustard, cream and some salt and pepper. Toss until the chicken is coated, then cover and chill for minimum 1 hour, or as long as you have time for (overnight is ideal).
2. Put a large pot of salted water on to boil and preheat your grill to it’s highest setting. Place the chicken breasts on a grill tray and cook for 5-10 minutes on each side until cooked through and charred.
3. While the chicken cooks, put the fusilli pasta and the sliced carrot into the boiling water and cook for 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, add the broccoli and corn and cook for a further 3-4 minutes until the pasta is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Drain and return to the pan, then add the pesto and stir to evenly coat everything in it.
4. Slice the chicken breasts and add them to the pasta/veg mix along with half of the parmesan. Stir to toss everything together, then pile into bowls and sprinkle over the remaining parmesan. Tuck in and taste the nostalgia!