Place sun-dried tomatoes and garlic into a food processor fitted with a steel blade then pulse until both tomatoes and garlic are finely chopped. Add basil leaves, parsley, walnuts or pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, red wine vinegar, 1 Tbsp olive oil and crushed red pepper (if using) then process into a fine paste, scraping down sides as necessary.
Add 2 Tbsp olive oil into a large, high-sided skillet then place over medium-high heat. Add chicken, salt and pepper and cook about 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and light golden brown. Transfer chicken to a plate, cover with foil to keep warm and set aside.
Return skillet to heat and add chicken broth. Scrape up any bits of chicken that are stuck to the bottom of the pan then add pasta and green beans. Give pasta a stir and bring broth to a boil. When broth begins to boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 12-15 minutes or until pasta is just tender. There will still be a small amount of liquid left in the skillet. If you like crisp, tender green beans, add them after the pasta has cooked for 8 minutes. The beans will only cook for 4-7 minutes and stay bright green and crispy.
Add cream, cooked chicken and entire amount of sun-dried tomato pesto and stir until completely combined. If sauce is a bit thick, just add a bit of cream, broth or water to thin to desired consistency. Cook just until chicken and pesto are hot, then remove from heat and serve.
Notes
Your taste buds won’t know it, but there’s actually very little heavy cream in this dish!