The first time I had ever tried pesto was last year. I didn’t dare touch the stuff before then, and I have no idea why. Pesto is DELICIOUS! Not only that, but it is so versatile. It can be put on pizza, sandwiches, toasted bread, pasta, steak, and other delightful things. I especially enjoy pesto with chicken and pasta. I found that it tastes even better when topped with Sun-Dried Tomatoes. Enter my Pesto Chicken Pasta summer dinner!
Pesto is traditionally made with basil. Lots and lots of basil. It takes two basil plants for me to get enough to make it. Interestingly, basil is part of the mint family, which is where its flavor comes from. But it is not overpowering and because of that, it goes well with many different dishes. Basil is a lovely green that certainly brightens up any dish.
I have two basil plants in my back yard so I can make pesto. You can always find a nice jar of it at the grocery store, but it is so easy to make my own, and I love being able to cook with herbs from my own garden. My dream one day is to grow my own fruits and veggies as well. Unfortunately, I don’t have the best soil here in Southern California. I do however have good growing conditions for herbs! Anyways, I put these basil leaves from my garden with pine nuts and other goodies in a food processor and BAM I have pesto so I can make my awesome pesto chicken! Yummy.
Making a pesto sauce for dinner is a fresh alternative to pasta sauce and it is perfect for summertime dinners with family and friends! Mix it with chicken and top it with sun-dried tomatoes, freshly grated parmesan cheese and you have yourself a party! Don’t forget the vegetable enriched pasta for extra flavor!
Print
Pesto Chicken Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 – 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15-20 minutes
- Yield: 6 Servings 1x
Description
This sun-dried tomato topped pesto chicken is a perfect weekday dinner to share with family or friends!
Ingredients
- ½ cup pine nuts (approx 2oz)
- 2 cups basil
- 3 cloves garlic
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup parmesan
- 2 lb chicken
- 1 can sun-dried tomato with oil (julienned is best)
- vegetable enriched pasta
Instructions
1. Process pine nuts until fine
2. Add pesto, olive oil, garlic, salt, and blend together
3. Add parmesan, process
4. Heat oil from sun-dried tomatoes in a sauté pan
5. Add chicken to the pan and cook through until no longer pink, add more sun-dried tomato oil as needed
6. While chicken is cooking, make your pasta
7. Julienne sun-dried tomatoes
8. Combine pesto with chicken and sun-dried tomatoes, then add to pasta
Notes
If you would like your pesto to be thinner, just add more olive oil or oil from the sun-dried tomatoes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: Chicken, Basil, Pesto, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Parmesean, Summer Dinner, Pasta
I love using fresh herbs from the back yard. It really makes food pop. And Parmesan and sundried tomatoes a killer combo to raise the bar on flavor! I hope to try this recipe soon.
★★★★★
Oh man! I love my fresh herbs! Sometimes I will dry them out, then grind them up with a mortar and pestle. That makes them taste so good in food! I love it! I am pretty much obsessed with parmesan, I will eat it mindlessly then realize I ate too much and I don’t have enough for my recipe, so I have to go buy more! Oh well…Also, sun-dried tomatoes are my new best friend. I hope I get to use them a lot more as I grow as a cook.