mia cucina italiana

CHICKEN & PESTO PASTA BOWLS
Serves 4

For this recipe, try making your own pesto. It’s easy to make, and as with most things, tastes much better than store-bought. The best thing about making your own pesto is all the ways you can change it up. This is my go-to pesto recipe. It has peppery arugula for a base with a little basil to deepen the flavor. Sometimes I add in lemon juice and zest instead of the red pepper flakes, but it’s so versatile, there are a myriad of things you can substitute for each element. I like the combination of walnuts with the arugula, but you can go traditional with pine nuts or even pistachios. And, I’m a big olive fan, but you can leave them out as the finishing touch, or add chopped tomatoes or red peppers instead.

16 oz penne pasta
2 boneless chicken breast halves
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup arugula and basil pesto, recipe follows
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup grated Parmesan

For Arugula & Basil Pesto:
1/3 cup walnuts
2-1/2 cups arugula
1/2 cup basil leaves
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp oregano
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup chopped kalamata olives

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain & rinse, cover and set aside.

2. Make the pesto: Toast walnuts in a small saucepan over medium heat. Place in a food processor and grind finely. Add basil and arugula, red pepper flakes, oregano, basil and salt. Pulse until chopped. Add the Parmesan and pulse to combine. Slowly add the olive oil until incorporated. Stir in olives.

2. Season chicken breast halves with salt and pepper. Saute in a large nonstick skillet, about 8-9 minutes, turning halfway through. Remove to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes before cutting into cubes.

3. In the pasta pan on low heat, combine the pasta with the pesto, cubed chicken and Parmesan. Stir to combine and heat through for a couple of minutes.