This is one of my favorite new recipes. It’s super easy and the recipe usually yield enough for my family of three, plus leftovers for lunch the next day. It’s even easier and faster if you use leftover chicken.
The pesto recipe is one I received from a friend when I got married, and the actual dinner I just threw together myself. Enjoy!
Pesto:
1 bunch basil
3 cloves of garlic
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup pine nuts
¼ cup parmesan cheese
1 juice of lemon
1 tsp salt
1. Mix and chop all ingredients in a food processor or blender. I like to use a garlic press for the cloves prior to blending since my cloves tend to escape the blade and frustrate me! This makes a very generous amount of pesto. You will probably use about 1/3 of it for this recipe and can freeze the rest for later use.
Pasta, Chicken & Asparagus:
½ lb. pasta (your choice; I like to use whole wheat spaghetti or penne)
2 chicken breasts
1 fresh bunch asparagus
1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. While pasta is cooking, cook your chicken. I like to BBQ it, but you could also bake it. Season it to your tastes; I find that lemon pepper seasoning goes well with the pesto. Once cooked, cut breasts into strips or chunks.
3. Wash asparagus and cuts stems diagonally into 2” chunks. Place in pot with 2” of water. Bring to a boil, cover, and lower heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until asparagus has softened slightly. Drain.
4. Toss pasta, chicken, asparagus and pesto sauce in large bowl or casserole dish. If ingredients are not all warm, you can put casserole dish in oven at 350 degrees until warm. Top with parmesan cheese before serving.
Linked to the Sundae Scoop over at www.iheartnaptime.com