Saturday Night Chicken Pesto Pasta

Saturday Night Chicken Pesto Pasta

 

Ingredients – Serves 8 

  • 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (can omit) 
  • 16 oz linguini pasta 
  • 6 oz fresh pesto (homemade or bought pre-made from your local grocer) 
  • 1 lb cherry tomatoes 
  • ½ cup pine nuts 
  • ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese 
  • Olive oil 
  • Salt and pepper, to taste 

 

Directions:  

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees   
  2. Place chicken breasts on sheet pan and drizzle both sides with 2- 3 tbsp olive oil and cover liberally with salt and pepper 
  3. Roast chicken in the oven for ~16 – 18 minutes until the juices run clear  
  4. Once out of the oven, allow chicken to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before slicing into strips 
  5. Place cherry tomatoes on sheet pan and drizzle with 2 – 3 tbsp of olive oil and cover liberally with salt and pepper 
  6. Roast tomatoes in pre-heated oven for ~20 minutes, they should be bursting once removed from oven 
  7. Bring a pot of water to boil in a large pot and salt liberally 
  8. Once water has reached boiling, add the linguini and follow package directions until ready 
  9. While water is boiling, toast pine nuts in a sauté pan or skillet for 1 – 2 minutes until lightly browned (watch carefully, they burn quickly) 
  10. Drain pasta and return back to pot 
  11. Add pesto, pine nuts, and cheese to pasta and mix to distribute evenly 
  12. Carefully mix in tomatoes to preserve their shape 
  13. Transfer pasta to serving bowl/ dish and add sliced chicken on top 
  14. Sprinkle more cheese and a dusting of salt and pepper on top to finish