CREAMY PESTO CHICKEN PASTA

I've been trying to recreate a pasta dish that my daughter used to have at an Italian Restaurant where we used to live. She loves it and anytime we go back to visit, she has to get some! I've come very, very close. Now to share this delicious recipe so you can have some too! I try to plan ahead on this one and make the pesto the day before and start marinating the chicken the day before also.

Everything you'll need to make this yummy dish!

Add chicken Broth, white wine, dried basil, oregano and minced garlic to a bowl to make the marinade for the chicken.

Cut the chicken into pieces, 1-1 1/2 inch squares.

Place chicken in marinade and put back in fridge to soak up all the yummy goodness. I would prefer to do this the day before to let it marinade overnight.

Chop the onion and drain and chop the sun-dried tomatoes.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pan and saute the onions until soft and translucent.

Add the sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts and cook for a few minutes longer.

Add the pasta to a large pot of boiling water. Cook to al dente. I used Callantoani (spirals) and cooked them for 12 minutes.

Add the chicken and marinade to the onion mixture. Cook until chicken is completely cooked through, 8-10 minutes.

When pasta is done. Drain and toss in olive oil so it doesn't dry out. Set aside until the sauce mixture is done.

Add the pasta to the sauce, stir.

Add the pesto, wine and the cream, stir and simmer for a few minutes.

Serve family style with some fresh parmesan sprinkled on top! Buon appetito!!

Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta

Print version

Ingredients:

Pesto

4 cups fresh Basil

6 cloves of garlic
1 cup shredded fresh parmesan

1/2 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup olive oil

Marinade

1/3 cup chicken stock

1 cup dry white wine

2 T dried basil

2T dried oregano

2 cloves minced garlic

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed.

Pasta and Sauce

1- 1LB package of pasta (I used Cellantoni (spirals) for the recipe pictured, but penne probably works the best)

5-6 T olive oil

1T butter

1-8 ounce jar of sun-dried tomatoes, drained and sliced

¼ cup pine nuts (optional)

½ cup white wine

1 cup heavy cream

1 tsp kosher salt

Directions

1.     Make the pesto by placing all the pesto ingredients except the olive oil in a blender or food processor and process until blended well. Add olive oil gradually while pulsing until smooth and creamy.  (See my pesto recipe and pictures here: Fresh Basil Pesto  )

2.     Add all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and place the chicken in the marinade. Place in the refrigerator while making the pasta and sauce. (I like to marinade the chicken overnight if possible)

3.     Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain and place back in pan and toss with a little olive oil to avoid drying out. Set aside

4.     Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large pan over med-high heat. Stir in onions and sauté until soft and translucent. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts (optional) and cook a few more minutes. Stir in the chicken, marinade and the additional ½ cup of white wine. Continue to cook on med/low temp until chicken is cooked through, 8-10 minutes.

5.     Add pasta, pesto, salt and cream to the pan and simmer a few more minutes until your sauce is thick and creamy.

6.     Serve with some fresh parmesan and enjoy!