Creamy Pesto Pasta with Grilled Chicken

1 Comment

This short fat pasta grabs the rich creamy sauce and the pesto adds a lot of flavor and freshness. The perfect pasta to pair with a classic grilled chicken breast. This has been a family favorite of ours for many many years!

Basil Pesto

Ingredients

2 cups basil, packed

1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

2 cloves garlic

1/3 cup olive oil, plus more to drizzle over finished pesto

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Toast pine nuts in small frying pan over medium low heat for 5 to 8 minutes or until nuts have been slightly browned. 

2. Place garlic in small food processor and give it a whirl until minced. Add basil, pine nuts, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Add olive oil and process until thoroughly mixed. Add Parmesan cheese and process just until blended.

3. Place into container and drizzle with olive oil until completely covered. This will prevent the pesto from browning. Can be refrigerated for a few days.

Ingredients

For the Chicken

4 chicken cutlets

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

drizzle of olive oil

For the Broccolini

8 oz broccolini

1/2 tbsp olive oil

pinch red pepper flakes

salt and pepper

1 lemon, cut in two

For the Pasta

8 oz. mezzi rigatoni or regular rigatoni

1/2 cup pesto (recipe follows)

3/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Heat grill to medium high and put on a large pot of water to come to a boil for pasta.

2. Once water comes to a boil, add salt to make the water salty like the sea. This will add flavor to the pasta. Cook pasta to al dente usually about two minutes short of the required time. 

3. While pasta cooks, add cream to a large pan and bring to a simmer over medium low heat. The cream will thicken a bit. Turn off heat and add pesto and stir. When pasta is al dente, drain and add pasta to sauce and gently stir and set aside.

4. Sprinkle oregano, salt and pepper over cutlets. Drizzle with olive oil. Grill over medium high heat for 3 or 4 minutes a side, depending on thickness of cutlets.

5. Toss broccolini with olive oil, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper in a bowl. Add to grill along with cut lemon. Grill for two minutes a side until crisp tender. Grill lemon alongside of broccolini. This will make it very juicy.

6. After chicken and broccolini come off grill, squeeze the lemon over both and serve alongside creamy pesto pasta.

Grilled Chicken with Greek Panzanella Salad

We came up with this salad because we wanted to have something healthy yet completely delicious and satisfying.  This was totally the answer to that.  There is are a ton of fresh veggies to keep it feeling light, and the toasted bread adds a savory starch that makes it filling.  Add the grilled chicken on top and the dish is complete! You get the best of both worlds, completely satisfying yet gilt free!

Difficulty: Easy 

Serves: 4

For the Vinaigrette:

– 2 large Lemons, zested and juiced (about 1/2 cup)

– 1/2 cup Olive Oil

-1 tbsp Fresh Parsley, minced

– 1 tsp Dried Oregano

-1 tsp Dijon Mustard

– 2 cloves Garlic, minced

– 1 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Pepper

In a medium bowl, whisk together ingredients and divide into two small bowls.  One bowl will be for the salad and the other for the chicken marinade.

For the Chicken:

-4 Chicken Breasts, pounded for even cooking

-Marinade made in above section

After pounding the chicken even, pour a little marinade over it and set aside while you cut up the veggies for the salad and toast the bread cubes.

Heat grill pan on medium high heat and brush with olive oil. Grill for five to eight minutes a side until cooked through.  Drizzle remaining marinade on chicken, then slice and place on top of salad.

For the Salad:

-2 to 3 cups Roasted Garlic Bread or Sourdough, cut into large cubes

-1 tbsp Olive Oil

-1 tbsp Butter

-1 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar

-16 oz. Cherry Tomatoes, halved

-1 English Cucumber, sliced longwise and quartered

-1 Red Pepper, large chunks

-1/2 large Red Onion, sliced with grain

-1 cup Feta Cheese, large cubes

-1/2 cup Kalamada Olives, halved

1 tbsp Parsley, chopped

Heat large sauce pan on medium heat. Add olive oil and butter to the pan mixing both together.  Dump bread cubes into pan and toast for about 15 minute making sure to stir from time to time until the bread is golden brown on all sides. Place in a large bowl to cook while you cut up the veggies.

Cut up the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, red onion, feta, olives, and parsley.  Place in the large bowl with breadcrumbs.

Add 1 tbsp vinegar to the second half of the vinaigrette and pour over the salad and toss it all together.  Set aside and let vinaigrette soak into the bread and veggies so they can marry.

Place grilled chicken on top of salad and enjoy!

Read More