Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta with Chicken
This pasta recipe has a lot of different ingredients but doesn’t require anything too exotic and is actually easier to make than you’d believe. This spin on classic pesto is a great way to add something different to your dinner routine.
For the pasta:
1 zucchini chopped into bite size pieces
1 small jar or can of mushrooms
Pasta of your choice (I used fusilli because my local grocery store had it on sale but penne, farfalle, or other types of pasta would also be good for this dish)
For the chicken:
2 heaping tablespoons of olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1 tablespoon of sun dried tomato paste
1/2 cup of sliced grape tomatoes
1 teaspoon of capers
For the pesto:
2 cups of fresh basil
1/2 cup of parmesan cheese (shredded or grated)
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons of sun dried tomato paste
1/2 cup of pine nuts (walnuts may be substituted)
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper
Begin by boiling water for your pasta and preparing it according to the package’s instruction.
While the pasta begins to cook, combine all the ingredients for the pesto in your food processor and blend well. Be sure to watch the salt in both the pesto and pasta since the chicken will be cooked with capers which are very salty. Set the pesto aside and add the zucchini to the pasta (about halfway through the cooking process so it doesn’t become overdone). In a non-stick skillet, add the olive oil and begin to saute the grape tomatoes over low to medium heat before adding the chicken, pepper, and capers.
Add the sun dried tomato paste to the skillet when the chicken is done cooking (around six to eight minutes). Once your pasta and zucchini are done, drain the water and add the canned mushrooms. Combine everything into one large pot and serve.
Please be sure to check out my other chicken recipes, here.