:: Chicken Pesto Pasta ::
Oh Chicken Pesto Pasta… how I love thee. I have a pasta addiction. If you were to ask me what my favorite meal would include, it would have to be some sort of pasta. I know I have a little Italian buried somewhere in my lineage {wink}. Though it is summer and some of you can’t think of eating a heavy meal, this light yet savory sauce makes this pasta not as weighing as a traditional lasagna. This pasta was created from a combination of herbs and tomatoes from my garden box, basil pesto sauce, and burrata cheese. Giada’s first book, Every Day Italian, has a ton of hidden gems and basic sauces that can be built into entirely creative pasta meals. Easy, simple, and delicious. It is one of my favorite Italian cookbooks. As for the garden boxes… in this sunny yet mild California climate for summer, my basil and sun burst yellow tomatoes have taken off like crazy! So why not combine the two with chunks of creamy burrata cheese?
Chicken Pesto Pasta
Spicy, tangy, and savory makes this a light and fresh pasta meal.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
For Tomato Portion
- 2 cups of cherry and sun burst tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar love Williams Sonoma version
- A dash of red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper to taste
For Pesto Sauce
- 2 Cups fresh basil
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts toast ahead of time 400 F for 5-10 min
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of pepper
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- Chicken Italian Sausage I used Whole Foods Fresh Sausage
- 1 lb box of pasta cooked al dente I like to use Barila
- 1 ball of burrata cheese pieced apart
Instructions
- Set oven to 425 F
- Cut up tomatoes and line on a cookie sheet
- Sprinkle ingredients over tomatoes and mix together on the sheet.
- Place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes
- While tomatoes are cooking start boiling the water for the pasta.
- Cook pasta as per box directions in a large dutch oven.
- Drain pasta and keep on the stove top.
- Take the sausage out of their casings and cook the chicken meat in a separate fry pan until fully browned and set aside.
- While browning the sausage prepare the pesto with a food processor.
- Pulse the basil, salt, pepper, and garlic until finely chopped.
- After that add the olive oil while pulsing until smooth.
- Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle in the cheese and stir together.
- Once the the tomatoes, sausage, and pesto are down add all the ingredients to the
- large dutch oven.
- Add the pieces of burrata and sprinkle in parmesan cheese for taste.
- Mix together and enjoy.
Notes
This pasta is fresh, cheesy, and savory. It takes a little time to create but it is a wonderful pasta dish for a special occasion or better yet for a date night in.
Adapted from Pesto Recipe from Every Day Italian
