Friday, October 17, 2008

Chicken with Pesto Pasta

This is something that I make quite often. Everyone in my family seems to like it.

Ingredients:
2-3 chicken breasts, thawed and cut into one inch cubes
1 red pepper
1 red onion
1 pound angel hair pasta
olive oil for sauteing
For the Pesto:
2 cups fresh basil leaves or a combination of basil and parsley
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
1/4 pound Parmigiano or Romano Cheese


Bring a pot of water to a boil. When the water is boiling, add pasta and cook until done (8 min or so.) Clean onion and pepper and cut into chunks. Heat some olive oil in a pan and then saute pepper and onion together until tender. Meanwhile, rub oil and salt and pepper on chicken. Add chicken to a pan and cook the chicken until is is done in the center and browned on the outside. While everything is cooking, make the pesto. For the pesto-Toast the pine nuts. Heat oil and garlic in the microwave for 20 seconds on high. Then add all of the ingredients into the food processor until paste forms. Pesto should be used at room temp.
Once pasta is finished, drain and return to pot. Add pesto and mix well with noodles. You may want to add more oil. Add chicken, onions, and pepper. Mix. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

** You can buy a variety of already made pesto at the store instead of making your own. And also, add any veggies that you like for a variation.

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