My husband is crazy about classic basil pesto, so I make it frequently. Pesto can transform ordinary dishes into something delicious and different in a flash. There are lots of dishes you can create with a batch of pesto in the refrigerator. The commercially made stuff is never as fresh and flavorful as homemade and it’s so easy to make in a food processor. By making it at home you can control and vary the recipe to your taste and use top quality ingredients.
What can you do with pesto? Stir a couple of generous tablespoons into mashed potatoes for pesto mashed potatoes. Toss pesto with roasted red potatoes when they are hot out of the oven. Transform a simple turkey (or roast beef) sandwich into something special with pesto instead of mayo and mustard, then grill it on a Panini maker for a pesto Panini. Use pesto to garnish soup, like the classic tomato soup recipe from an earlier post. Stir it into risotto for a rich, vibrant green Pesto Risotto.
The other night I thinned some pesto down with a little half and half, warmed it up and made a sauce for fresh broiled swordfish. It’s good on salmon too. Put a few dollops on a platter of sliced tomatoes and mozzarella drizzled with good Balsamic vinegar and olive oil for an Italian Caprese-style salad. Add a little to a vinaigrette for a pesto dressing for tossed green salad or roasted or grilled vegetables. I’ve even used it to garnish deviled eggs. But the dish that’s a “go-to” when I’ve got a hungry husband in need of a fast dinner is pasta with pesto and chicken. It’s one of his all-time favorites.
Pasta with pesto and chicken is easy to make if your pesto is already done and you have pasta in the pantry. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pasta, pesto and half and half are all you need. Well, maybe a little extra Parmesan cheese. Add a tossed green salad and you have a great dinner. I don’t even use a recipe to put this dish together and once you’ve made it you’ll be able to do the same.
If you are not familiar with pesto, its traditionally from Genoa, Italy. Classic pesto is a fresh uncooked sauce or paste made with fresh basil leaves, pine nuts, olive oil, grated cheese and garlic. I add a little fresh lemon juice to mine. Historically it was made in a mortar and pestle. I prefer the power of my food processor to make it easily and quickly.
These days pesto can be made with other herbs such as cilantro, parsley and mint and other nuts such as walnuts and cashews. For cheese, the classic is good Parmigiano-Reggiano but you can use Pecorino Romano. You can even make pesto with sun-dried tomatoes and sweet peppers. Try them the same way as I’ve mentioned above. I’m sure you’ll find your own ways to use this versatile sauce.
To make this a dinner for 4 people you’ll need 8 ounces of dried pasta (such as whole grain penne), 1 1/2 – 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast and about 1/2 a cup or more of half and half, depending on how creamy you want the dish. Add a little Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for extra flavor and a fresh basil leaf for garnish.
Pasta with Classic Basil Pesto and Chicken
To prepare the entire dish for dinner start by making the pesto ahead of time, then cook the pasta and drain. Place back in the warm pan. Add several large dollops of pesto and stir into the hot pasta. Taste and add as much as you’d like. Stir in the half and half a little at a time until creamy. Stir in a bit of extra Parmesan if desired.
While the water is coming to a boil for the pasta, sauté your chicken breasts. Slice on the diagonal and place atop of the pasta. Top with extra cheese and fresh basil leaves if desired. Serve in wide shallow bowls that have been warmed in a low oven or warming drawer. Your food will stay hot longer.
Classic Basil Pesto with Chicken and Pasta
Classic Basil PestoClassic basil pesto is very versatile. Toss with pasta, use with chicken or fish, thin with milk to make a sauce, or spread on a sandwich. If you have a problems with pine nuts, use walnuts instead. Walnuts make for a great pesto. When buying pine nuts look for American or Italian pine nuts to avoid a possible metallic taste which can happen with cheap imports.
Yield: about 1 3/4 cups
Ingredients
2 large garlic cloves, peeled
8 ounces fresh basil leaves, washed and stemmed
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, American or Italian (or walnuts if you don’t like pine nuts)
Juice of half a lemon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepperDirections
1) In a food processor fitted with a steel chopping blade, drop the peeled garlic cloves through the feed tube while its running to mince the garlic. Alternatively use a garlic press for finely minced garlic. Add basil leaves through pine nuts to the food processor and process until fairly smooth. You can control the texture by pushing or holding the pulse button. If it’s too thick for your tastes, thin with a little water, more olive oil, or a combination of the two. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if you desire.
Using a flexible spatula scrape your fresh pesto into a container with a tightly fitting lid. It will last for about a week in the refrigerator.
Classic Basil Pesto with Chicken and Pasta
Sally’s Basic Sautéed Chicken BreastIf you’ve ever complained that boneless, skinless chicken breasts are dry, try making them my way. They come out nice and moist.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 1/2 – 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast, preferably organic.
Kosher salt
Black Pepper
Penzeys granulated garlic
1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup dry white wineDirections
1) Trim any fat from the chicken breasts. Trim the tenders and reserve for another use or sauté beside the breasts. Sprinkle both sides with kosher salt, black pepper and granulated garlic.
2) Heat a sauté pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of the oil. When it’s hot the oil will shimmer. This will happen quickly so don’t walk away or you’ll have smoking, burned oil and you’ll need to start over again.
3) Add the chicken breasts, smooth side (presentation side) down first. Sauté until the chicken is a nice golden brown. If the pan gets a little dry add a little more oil. Turn the chicken breasts over, add the wine, and quickly put a lid on top. Turn the heat down to low. The pan will sizzle and steam when you add the wine, so be prepared.
4) The chicken will finish cooking in just a few minutes depending on the size and thickness of the chicken breasts. Cook chicken until a digital thermometer reads 160 in the thickest part of the breast. Test at about 7-8 minutes. Turn heat the off and move pan to another burner. While the chicken is resting it will climb those last few degrees to 165.
Other links of interest:
Bulgur Salad with Parsley Pesto and Grilled Chicken, from Deliciously Organic
Asparagus Pesto with Pasta, from Simply Recipe
Pine Nut Mouth Syndrome. If you’ve ever had a problem with pine nuts, beware imported pine nuts. Some people get a metallic taste in their mouth from cheap, imported pine nuts.
Pine Mouth article, from ABC Good Morning America
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Dear Sally, I was having a guest for dinner and couldn’t come up with something new and exciting. My friend Wendy has been telling me what a tremendous cook you are and had told me about this recipe. She is so right, it is wonderful and easy to make. However, my guest does not eat pork so I doubled the sauce and saved some for large shrimp that I seasoned the same way and then sauteed. Absolutely awesome. Thank you for having this blog and I look forward to trying more of your recipes. Thank you. Robin
This sounds absolutely amazing! I can’t wait to try this!!
Thanks for the comment Robin! So glad it worked out for you! That’s what I like to hear. Good idea on the shrimp. Yum!
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