Slow cooker creamy chicken, lemon and basil pasta
Pasta works well in this slow-cooked creamy chicken dish: the pasta soaks up all the lovely, summery flavours as everything gently bubbles away.
Each serving provides 563 kcal, 39.8g protein, 25.8g carbohydrate (of which 3.7g sugars), 32.9g fat (of which 15.4g saturates), 0.8g fibre and 1.1g salt.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken stock pot or cube
- 675ml/24fl oz boiling water
- 1–2 tbsp olive oil
- 500g/1lb 2oz boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 300g/10½oz spirali pasta
- 2 large courgettes, cut into large dice
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 small lemon, finely grated zest
- 25g/1oz pack of basil, roughly chopped, plus extra small leaves to serve
- 170g/6oz full-fat crème fraîche
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the slow cooker to high. Put the chicken stock cube in a measuring jug and add the boiling water. Stir to dissolve the stock.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Add half the chicken and cook until it is browned all over.
Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker pot with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pan. Cook the remaining chicken in the same way and add to the slow cooker, then add the pasta to the slow cooker.
If needed, add more olive oil to the pan, then add the courgettes and cook over a high heat for a couple of minutes until browned. Remove them to a plate.
Reduce the heat below the frying pan and add the garlic. Cook for a few seconds to take off the raw tang. Pour in a little of the stock and stir with a wooden spoon to loosen any bits of chicken that are stuck to the bottom. Tip it into the slow cooker, along with the remaining stock. Add the lemon zest and basil and season with salt and pepper, then give everything a good stir.
Spread the courgettes over the top of the mixture, cover with the lid and cook for 1 hour.
Add the crème fraîche and give everything a good stir. Turn the heat off, replace the lid and leave to rest for 15 minutes.
Give it another stir, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve scattered with a few fresh basil leaves.
Recipe Tips
This recipe was tested in a medium-sized cooker with a ceramic bowl; if your slow cooker has a metal bowl insert, it may cook more quickly and not need the resting time.