So your girl is a gardener now, and I be flossing hard with my harvests. This Linguine Pesto with chicken was a natural choice for my latest batch of garden picks, especially since despite my yellow thumb (I haven’t quite come down enough shades to make it to green as yet) my current varieties have been growing like weeds, okurr?

In all seriousness, I love pesto. However I hardly ever order it when I’m out, because I’m scared of seeing my bad choices staring back at me. You know what I’m talking about:
– pools of grease from a broken or stretched out sauce
– one that has been reheated too many times that you just know is going to give you heart burn.

Hey, I’m about to be 27 okay? I’m no longer a spring chicken that can eat whatever I want. Yet I had to do something! Here was this luscious bounty, from the first plants I’ve actually decided to care for and nurture. Am I going to let them spoil in the fridge? Uh I think not.

Side note tip: Fresh basil actually loves hanging out on your kitchen counter in a bit of water for the stems. Pick as you cook. I learned this the hard way after screaming at my market bought basil every week for browning three days in.

Linguine Pesto with Chicken emerged as the contender as an easy fix in the kitchen made it even better for these #workfromhome times. Imagine pulsing a sauce and having it ready under ten minutes. You can then pour over your chicken breast to cook in and then also to coat your boiled pasta. I have work video calls that last way longer than this meal took to prepare right now.

PSA: Hadi pays full attention in all work meetings and is not secretly muting her microphone so no one can hear chicken sizzle in a pan. Because that would be wrong…right?

For this pesto recipe, I used mainly my Thai hybrid basil plant because I found it lasts longer from my observation of the cuts I’ve made. I also love the undertones that it gives in salads. Further research showed that the Genovese (sweet) basil also included, tended to brown quicker and did not withstand heat for too long. Now my mom always says I have a “cooler mouth” cause I eat things at their hottest, so if we were about to have leftovers, this loss of flavour just wasn’t it.

Instead of a clear cut measurement for the extra virgin olive oil, I poured until the basil mixture just came together. I then stopped, patted the mixture down and continued pouring until it was chunky. The reason for this was to make sure the oil was enough that the sauce would cling to the pasta, but not so much that I would feel the effects on my body later.

Side Note Tip: Storing pesto afterwards, will require that you pour a bit of oil to cover the pesto in an airtight container in the fridge, to avoid browning.

Though I was a little disappointed that my Linguine Pesto with Chicken didn’t have that amazing green colour that makes you reminisce that you for sure would not have eaten this as a child growing up, the flavour was there! Now, I can’t wait for my next harvest to make some more.

Linguine Pesto with Chicken

Hadi So your girl is a gardener now, and I be flossing hard with my harvests. This Linguine Pesto with chicken was a natural choice for my latest batch of garden picks, especially since despite my yellow thumb (I haven’t quite... Recipes pesto, linguine, pasta, chicken Italian Print This

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes 20 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

• Pesto
• 1 oz pine nuts
• 1 cup of parmesan (separated)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 4 cups of your favourite basil (I like Thai hybrid so my final pesto is on the dark side)
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Special Equipment: Food Processor
• Linguine, 400g
• 2 cups of dice chicken breast
• 3 tbsp dried basil flakes
• 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
• Salt to taste

Instructions

Set a pot big enough to hold the 400g of pasta with water and a bit of salt to boil.
Once the pot has come to a rapid boil, add the pasta and let cook until al dente.
Drain and let cool.
Preheat the oven at 350°
Place pine nuts on a small baking tray and place in the oven until lightly golden. About 3 to 5 minutes.
Let cool slightly, and then add to the food processor, along with 3/4 cups grated cheese and garlic cloves and powder.
Pulse until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.
Add the basil varieties of your choosing.
Pulse in the food processor until basil leaves have started to roughly join with the crumb mixture. Stop and scrape down the sides of the mixture and begin again.
Slowly add the extra virgin olive oil through the nozzle at the top of the food processor. Monitor closely to see when the mixture is coming together - by watching the blend grades as the mixture is pushed around by the blades.
Stop the processor and taste. Add salt and pepper based on preference and pulse the processor two times. Your sauce is done.
Add generous amounts of the sauce to the pasta.
Heat frying pan, with a sprits of cooking spray.
With the remaining sauce, add to your cubed chicken breasts, along with dried basil, garlic powder and salt.
Once the pan is hot enough, cook the chicken cubes in batches.
Toss into the pasta, leaving some as toppers.
Sprinkle the final dish with the reserve parmesan cheese.
Serve.