Fusilli with Chicken and Pesto
Author: Pizza Today
Recipe type: appetizers
Ingredients
- 1 pound fisilli pasta
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped fine
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 608 ounces each), grilled or poached, cut into bite-size pieces (or use precooked chicken chunks)
- 1 cup pesto sauce (see recipe below)
- ½ cup toasted pine nuts
- Grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente.
- Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.
- Drain, reserve and keep warm.
- In a large skillet or saute pan set over med.-high heat, warm the oil for 1 min.
- Add the garlic, cook & stir for 1 min.
- Add the chicken to the pan and cook until just heated through.
- In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta with the chicken.
- Add the prepared pesto sauce and toss to combine.
- Portion the pasta into heated pasta bowls.
- Top each portion with some of the pine nuts and grated Parmesan.
- Serve at once.
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Fusilli with Chicken and Pesto
Author: Pizza Today
Recipe type: appetizers
Ingredients
- PESTO SAUCE
- 2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Put the basil, garlic, cheeses and pie nuts in a food processor.
- Pulse the machine a number of times until the ingredients are thoroughly combines.
- With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil.
- Process until smooth (it will be a bit on the thick side, but do not add any more oil).
- Turn the sauce out into a mixing bowl.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Use some or all of the reserved pasta water to thin the pesto until it is creamy (the starch from the pasta water is the secret to a smooth and creamy pesto sauce).
