Pesto Chicken Pasta

Impressive every time, this dish also works well as a cold pasta salad. Sans chicken, this is a great vegetarian option, too.

recipe image

Ingredients (Serves 4-6)

Pesto
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1 tsp kosher salt
2/3 cup cup extra-virgin olive oil
Pasta
1rotisserie chicken
2 tsp salt
1 1-lb box of pasta
1 pint cherry tomatoes

Instructions

Pesto (from scratch!)
  1. In a food processor, chop garlic.
  2. Add remaining ingredients.
  3. With the motor running, slowly pour in oil until well blended.
Pasta
  1. Boil a large pot of salted water.
  2. Cook pasta until it’s al dente. Meanwhile, pull the chicken meat off the bone and cut into bite-sized pieces.
  3. Cut tomatoes in half.
  4. Drain the pasta and, while it’s still hot, toss in the pesto and tomatoes.
  5. Add chicken, garnish with shaved Parmesan and serve.

Photography by James Tse
Food Styling by Ruth Gangbar