Pesto Pasta with Spicy Chicken

SUMMERTIME!!!

Written Recipe

Total Time: 30-45 mins

Cook Time: 15 mins Feeds 3-4 people

Ingredients: 

• 1 lb of pasta (I used Rigatoni but use whatever you like)

• 1/2 cup  toasted walnuts or pine nuts

• 2 cups basil leaves (I used stems too lol)

• 3 garlic cloves

• 1 lemon juiced

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• Parmesan cheese to taste

• Salt to Taste

• Pepper to taste

Chicken

• 2 Chicken Breasts (you can use thighs too)

• 1 lemon juiced

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp chili powder

• 1 tbsp cajun powder

• 1/2 tbsp paprika

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 1 tsp chicken bullion

• salt to taste

• pepper to taste

Method

1. Marinate the chicken in the spices above, if you do not have the spices it’s okay just skip it and use what you got!

2. I’m using walnuts today instead of pine nuts because pine nuts would’ve cost more than the chicken. I toasted the walnuts nuts till fragrant around 5 minutes and then dumped them into a food processor. You can also use a blender or a mortar and pestle. 

3. I added the cleaned basil, garlic cloves, juice of one fresh lemon, some parmesan, salt, pepper, and some olive oil to the food processor. I blended it till it got to a nice paste, you can also stream extra olive oil while blending. 

4. I then seared my thin slice of chicken breast in a hot pan and made sure to get a nice crust on it and then set it aside.

5. In the same pan, turn off the heat, and added my rigatoni and then my pesto. And then I add some pasta water to make it into a sauce. You need the pasta water. Add a quarter of a cup at a time. Mix thoroughly, add parmesan, and red pepper flakes, and cut your chicken, and you're ready to eat!