A while back, Banza sent me a box of their pasta to try, and I was saving the shells for something special. I had dreamed it up in my head that it would probably make a delicious pasta salad, and I knew I wanted to use my Skinny Pesto Ranch as the dressing for it.
If you’ve never had the Skinny Pesto Ranch before, it is so delicious, and so easy to make! It begins with fresh basil leaves, Parmesan cheese, and buttermilk (see instructions for how to make your own buttermilk at home if you don’t have any on hand. No need to run to the store!) that gets pureed until it is completely smooth. Then you fold in some light sour cream and half a Ranch dressing mix packet. Just a few minutes, and you’ll have one of the tastiest, lightest dressings you could image. For 30 g, it is right around 40 calories and 2F/4C/2P.
After the Skinny Pesto Ranch, the prep is pretty simple. First you’ll wash and chop some cherry tomatoes and zucchini. Then you’ll throw those veggies on the grill with some chicken. Next, boil some pasta and combine all of the ingredients. Add some extra chopped basil and Parmesan on top, and you’re good to go! It’s hard to believe something this pretty and delicious could be so simple to make! This pasta could be served warm, or, as my husband enjoyed, cold the next day like a pasta salad.
There is nothing that makes me happier than dishing out a massive serving size and shocking myself that I get to eat that much food! For 387 g, it is 9F/41C/42P. With macros like that, you better believe I will be enjoying this recipe again soon!
Pesto Ranch Pasta with Grilled Chicken, Cherry Tomatoes, and Zucchini
Ingredients
- 1 8 oz box Banza Pasta (I used shells, but you can use whatever type of noodle you'd like!)
- 538 g zucchini, sliced lengthwise into quarters and then into 1/2 inch slices
- 252 g cherry tomatoes (about a pint)
- 502 g chicken breast, raw
- 120 g Skinny Pesto Ranch
- fresh basil, chopped, for serving (optional)
- Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your gill to medium high heat. Cook raw chicken and grilled veggies on the grill. Sprinkle with garlic salt, or other seasoning, as you desire. Grill until the chicken is cooked through and the veggies are charred and crisp tender. If you used whole chicken breast, slice the chicken into bite sized pieces.
- While the chicken and veggies are cooking, cook Banza pasta according to package instructions. Drain and rinse pasta.
- Once all of the ingredients are cooked, combined all ingredients into a large bowl. Mix well to evenly coat the ingredients with the Skinny Pesto Ranch. Serve with additional chopped basil and Parmesan cheese.
- Note: If you would like this to be warmer, you can reheat the pasta by cooking over medium heat in a pot until desired temperature is reached.