PESTO CHICKEN FETTUCCINE

What can I say: pesto is considered comfort food at my house. My kids cannot get tired of it, anytime they ask me what's for dinner and the answer is pesto chicken pasta, they are so delighted one might think they did not have it for months. Truth is, I make fresh pesto almost every other week. Usually, I prepare enough for two complete meals. You can slap it on baked salmon, or pork tenderloin, or just spread it on a piece of warm, crusty bread for a quick snack. But tonight, it is pesto chicken pasta!

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 lb of Fettuccine pasta
• 4 pieces of chicken breast halves
• 1 tbsp of butter
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 cup of whipping cream
• 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
• red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper

For the pesto:

• 4 ounces of fresh organic basil leaves
• 1/3 of a cup of lightly toasted pine nuts
• 1/2 of a cup of grated Parmesan cheese
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 - 2/3 of a cup of extra virgin olive oil
• salt, pepper to taste

Let's make the pesto first. If you prefer, you can rinse basil leaves in cold water. In a food processor, combine basil leaves, garlic, lightly toasted pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and half of the extra virgin olive oil. Mix well until all ingredients are fully incorporated and smooth, adding more olive oil for the desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Start with boiling a large pot of water with salt for your pasta. Meanwhile, on a cutting board, place your chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic foil and gently flatten it a little with a meat tenderizer or a rolling pin. Season with salt and pepper. Melt butter and olive oil in a non-stick skillet and place chicken breasts in skillet sprinkling it with red pepper flakes, nicely browning meat on both sides using medium to high heat, until cooked thoroughly. Remove chicken pieces from skillet to a plate and keep it warm. At this point, you can start cooking your pasta al dente. Using the same skillet, add 4 tbsp of prepared pesto and the cream. Mix it together with a whisk and bring it to a quick boil, turn heat down to low and place chicken breast halves back into pan. Add your cut up tomatoes to sauce, warm for 3-5 minutes on low heat. Drain your pasta and mix it with a spoonful of pesto. Serve pasta on warmed plates, place chicken on top of pasta and add a generous amount of pesto sauce with tomatoes. Garnish it with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves. Buon Appetito! #momskitchen

To make this delicious pasta dish a bit easier and more kid friendly, use penne pasta instead of fettuccine, cut up your chicken into bite size pieces before cooking and leave it in the skillet when you add the rest of the ingredients. Mix cooked pasta and chicken pesto all together in one big bowl, serve immediately.