Chicken Pesto

ByNicole

When I was younger my mom didn’t cook much.  Yeah she’d cook to feed us, but she wasn’t one who experimented with new things.  We ate steaks, Hamburgers, Hamburger Helper, Mac & Cheese (from a box), etc.  Now both my grandmother’s cooked but again it was more meat and potato vs the extreme culinary recipes.  So I didn’t actually develop my passion for cooking until later in life.  I was home one Christmas break from college and got wheeled in to Food Network watching Rachael Ray (which I know a lot of you don’t like… LOL).  So that opened my eyes up to Paula Deen and Emril Lagasse and The Barefoot Contessa and Tyler Florence and the list could go on and on and on.

They all tend to make Pesto at one point or another as well.  So I decided I needed to try my hand at making homemade Pesto.  Oh my gosh it’s super easy and Oh my gos it’s super good.  I wasn’t sure I could convince my husband to try it because when it comes to anything with nuts involved, He’s OUT!  But I lucked out and conned him in to taking a leap of faith and trusting me.  What do you know, it paid off too!!!

Here is our recipe for:

Chicken Pesto

Ingredients:
2 cups loosely packed basil
3/4cup Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup pine nuts
3 cloves garlic
Fresh black pepper
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
squirt of Lemon juice (prolly a tsp is what I used…)
Whole Wheat Penne Pasta (or your pasta of choice)
2 Chicken breasts, diced into 1″ cubes
Chicken seasonings.

Toast up the Pine nuts in a skillet over medium heat until fragrant.
Meanwhile use the garlic press and press your cloves of garlic into the food processor (or blender)
Add the Parmesan cheese to the food processor.
Then add the basil, toasted pine nuts, black pepper, and salt.
Turn on the food processor and let it work away.
While it’s running stream in the Extra Virgin Olive Oil until you get the consistency you want.  At the very end, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Meanwhile put your pasta on the stove to cook.
And start a little EVOO on the stove to cook your chicken.  Once it is cooked up season it.  We seasoned with Garlic & Black Pepper, Dried Tomato & Garlic Pesto seasoning (Tastefully Simple), & a splash of white wine.
Once the chicken is done, toss chicken, pesto & pasta into a bowl, combine and serve!
YUM!!!

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10 Comments

  6. Um, hello! YUMS!! I need to try these out!! RIGHT AFTER I try out and probably devour a whole tin of those Oreo muffins you wrote about!!

    Reply

  8. I don't think I've ever eaten anything “pestoish.” I don't understand it. It means without meat or without something doesn't it? It looks very tasty. Maybe I'll get adventurous one day. You are so clever and culinaryish.

    Reply

  10. I love your recipe posts. I'm obsessed with Pesto lately – I dunno why. You're good though, I don't make it – I but it at Costco. LOL
    (PS – can you tell I'm behind in my google reader? LOL)

    Reply

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