You do not want to heat the pesto just toss with hot pasta and you are good to go. I did heat the chicken in the microwave just before serving.
Pesto recipe (at the bottom of the post)
Showing posts with label pesto. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pesto. Show all posts
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Chicken Pesto pasta
After making my chicken pesto pita pizzas I had about 1/2 cup of pesto left over. I also had about 1/2 of a chicken breast. Hmmmm... toss it all together with some hot pasta and you have a quick lunch!
You do not want to heat the pesto just toss with hot pasta and you are good to go. I did heat the chicken in the microwave just before serving.
Pesto recipe (at the bottom of the post)
You do not want to heat the pesto just toss with hot pasta and you are good to go. I did heat the chicken in the microwave just before serving.
Pesto recipe (at the bottom of the post)
Friday, February 3, 2012
Pita pizza - Chicken pesto
Pita pizzas are quick and easy. I love the cracker like crunch from the toasted pita with the hot toppings. There is a million different ways to go here but this is a favorite.
At the end of summer before the basil in my garden takes a turn for the worse I harvest it all and make as much pesto as possible. I then pack it in baggies and toss them in the freezer. One pack of basil seeds grew enough to make 28 1 cup pesto portions last year. To put that in perspective a 7oz container of pre-made pesto at my local store is $5.49. (Pesto recipe is at the end of the post)
Ingredients- Makes 4 pizzas
4 pitas
4 Tbsp pesto
1 cup mozzarella cheese
4 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grilled chicken breast - cut into small strips
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Place pitas on a sheet pan and top with 1 Tbsp pesto each - spread around evenly. Add sliced chicken on top.
Top chicken with 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese.
Bake on bottom rack of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Then move to top rack until cheese is melted.
Slicing these is not a job for your pizza cutter! That would break your crust and tear your chicken.
Get out a large heavy chefs knife and make 1 solid cut up and down and 1 cut left to right.
Serve hot or at room temperature.
Enjoy!
Pesto recipe -
2 cups of fresh basil leaves
2 cloves of garlic - smashed
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 - 2/3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Combine basil, garlic, pine nuts, 1/2 cup olive oil, salt and pepper in a food processor and pulse until well incorporated. Add in Parmesan cheese pulse again. Add additional oil if needed.
Note - Pine Nuts are usually found with the baking nuts at your local store. They can be a bit pricey. For me the best deal locally is at a bulk food store, or the bulk food section at Whole Foods. If you can't find them you can substitute walnuts.
At the end of summer before the basil in my garden takes a turn for the worse I harvest it all and make as much pesto as possible. I then pack it in baggies and toss them in the freezer. One pack of basil seeds grew enough to make 28 1 cup pesto portions last year. To put that in perspective a 7oz container of pre-made pesto at my local store is $5.49. (Pesto recipe is at the end of the post)
Ingredients- Makes 4 pizzas
4 pitas
4 Tbsp pesto
1 cup mozzarella cheese
4 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grilled chicken breast - cut into small strips
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Place pitas on a sheet pan and top with 1 Tbsp pesto each - spread around evenly. Add sliced chicken on top.
Top chicken with 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese.
Bake on bottom rack of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Then move to top rack until cheese is melted.
Slicing these is not a job for your pizza cutter! That would break your crust and tear your chicken.
Get out a large heavy chefs knife and make 1 solid cut up and down and 1 cut left to right.
Enjoy!
Pesto recipe -
2 cups of fresh basil leaves
2 cloves of garlic - smashed
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 - 2/3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Combine basil, garlic, pine nuts, 1/2 cup olive oil, salt and pepper in a food processor and pulse until well incorporated. Add in Parmesan cheese pulse again. Add additional oil if needed.
Note - Pine Nuts are usually found with the baking nuts at your local store. They can be a bit pricey. For me the best deal locally is at a bulk food store, or the bulk food section at Whole Foods. If you can't find them you can substitute walnuts.
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