Wheat-free edamame pasta with chicken and arugula-walnut pesto, brightened with lemon.
Green dominates the plate, olive oil adds a glossy sheen, and lemon brightens everything from the very first bite. This edamame pasta with chicken and arugula-walnut pesto highlights the peppery flavor of arugula, walnuts, basil, and a touch of acidity. This version swaps wheat pasta for edamame spaghetti and pine nuts for walnuts, paired with chicken seasoned with paprika, thyme, and lemon zest. The pesto, loosened with a little water, coats the pasta well, while the chicken adds tenderness. Find this recipe among my keto main dishes.
What is keto pasta with chicken and pesto?
Edamame are soybeans harvested before maturity; here, the spaghetti is made from edamame flour, providing a low-carb base with nutritional values that vary by brand and a firm texture after a brief cooking time of 3 to 4 minutes. The pesto combines arugula, basil, garlic, walnuts, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt: arugula brings pepperiness, basil freshness, garlic an extra punch, and walnuts a slight bitterness, while lemon balances the richness of the oil.
The chicken, cut into pieces of boneless thigh, cooks in a little olive oil and is then flavored with paprika, dried thyme, and lemon zest, yielding juicy meat that pairs well with the spaghetti. Pecorino or Parmesan is added to the cooked chicken, with a small amount reserved for serving. The pesto is warmed briefly over low heat, then the drained pasta is added last, with water poured in gradually to loosen the pesto into a sauce that coats everything well.
A low-carb version
The aim is to keep the enjoyment of a generously sauced pasta dish while staying low in carbs. Edamame spaghetti replaces wheat pasta, with 50 g dry per serving and 10 g of net carbs per serving for the dish, a useful reference for a ketogenic approach, though not a guarantee of suitability for every strict protocol. Each element has a role: arugula brings bite, basil freshness, walnuts depth, and lemon works in two stages, with zest for the chicken and juice for the pesto. This pasta is mostly available in organic food stores, specialty grocery stores, or online, and boneless chicken thighs can be found at the butcher or in the poultry section.
The main ingredients
For two people: 100 g edamame spaghetti, a low-carb base with a firm texture; 2 organic free-range boneless chicken thighs, a tender protein that takes on the paprika, thyme, and lemon flavors; 1 teaspoon paprika for color and aroma; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; olive oil for cooking the chicken; 75 ml extra virgin olive oil to give the pesto body; 85 g arugula, the peppery base.
One lemon, preferably organic, with the zest for the chicken and the juice for the pesto; 1 garlic clove; a generous handful of fresh basil, blended into the pesto with some leaves added to finish; 50 g pecorino or Parmesan for saltiness, umami, and binding, with some reserved for serving; 50 g walnuts for their woody flavor and structure; 2 generous pinches of salt, adjusted according to the cheese; water, added one tablespoon at a time, about five in total, until the sauce has a loose consistency.
Technique, serving, and allergens
Success comes down to texture: boneless thighs hold up to cooking better than breast meat and stay tender alongside the denser edamame spaghetti. Cut the chicken into evenly sized pieces, cook it in a little oil with paprika, thyme, and salt, then add the lemon zest; color alone is not enough to judge doneness, and the chicken must be fully cooked before adding the cheese. The spaghetti cooks in 3 to 4 minutes, becoming tender but still firm, and is added only at the end, once the chicken, cheese, and pesto are combined and hot; for another option, konjac noodles have a very distinctive texture.
Heat the pesto gently: finely blend the arugula, basil, garlic, walnuts, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt, then gradually loosen with water; add the pesto to the chicken over low heat just long enough to warm it through, as prolonged cooking dulls the freshness of the herbs. On the side, a Japanese cabbage salad or a green salad provides a fresh contrast. Refrigerate leftovers promptly in a sealed container and reheat gently, adding a little water if the sauce has thickened, until the chicken is piping hot throughout. Allergens: edamame pasta contains soy, the pesto contains walnuts, and the cheese contains milk.
Find more dishes like this among my low-carb recipes.
Edamame Spaghetti with Chicken and Arugula-Walnut Pesto (Keto)
Ingredients
- 100 g edamame spaghetti
- 2 chicken thigh fillets (organic, free-range)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon thyme (dried)
- 75 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 85 g arugula
- 1 lemon preferably organic
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 generous handful basil (fresh) + extra for garnish
- 50 g Pecorino or Parmesan
- 50 g walnuts
- 2 generous pinches salt (Celtic sea salt)
- olive oil for cooking the chicken
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into pieces with a knife or kitchen scissors and cook in a little oil. Add the paprika, thyme and a pinch of salt.2 chicken thigh fillets (organic, free-range), olive oil, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon thyme (dried), 2 generous pinches salt (Celtic sea salt)
- Wash the lemon. Finely grate the zest. Squeeze out the juice.1 lemon
- Add the zest to the chicken. Lower the heat and cook gently.
- Meanwhile, thinly slice the garlic. Crumble the walnuts. Place in the food processor with the arugula, basil, lemon juice, olive oil and a generous pinch of salt. Reserve a few nice basil leaves for garnish.1 clove garlic, 50 g walnuts, 85 g arugula, 1 generous handful basil (fresh), 75 ml extra virgin olive oil
- Blend the pesto until smooth. Add water, one tablespoon at a time, until the sauce is fairly thin. It should be just pourable. You will probably need about 5 tablespoons. If it is still too thick, add a little more water.
- Bring water to a boil in the saucepan. Add the pasta and cook briefly: 3 to 4 minutes. Then drain, using a colander if desired.100 g edamame spaghetti
- Meanwhile, grate the cheese.50 g Pecorino
- Once the chicken is cooked and the pasta is drained, add the cheese to the chicken. Reserve a little cheese for garnish.
- Pour the pesto over the chicken and warm briefly over low heat. It should not boil or cook, just warm through.
- Stir in the pasta.
- Divide the pasta among plates. Sprinkle with cheese. Finish with a few basil leaves.
