Pesto Pasta

This Classic Italian dish is incredibly easy to make as it requires basic ingredients. So, cook this tasty meal and serve it with any type of pasta for a super easy lunch or dinner.

Health Benefits

Pesto pasta contains pesto sauce and it can provide you with various health benefits. Pesto sauce has garlic which lowers the cholesterol level within three months. The pine nuts used in pesto sauce are rich in protein which helps in the building of muscles.

On the other hand, pasta is low in sodium which can prevent you from getting heart diseases and diabetes. Also, according to the Mediterranean Diet, pasta helps in weight loss.

Ingredients

ounces penne pasta: 16

teaspoon salt: 1/2

teaspoon pepper: 1/2

teaspoon garlic powder: 1/2

tablespoons butter: 2

tablespoons olive oil: 2

large chicken breast: 3/4

cup heavy cream: 1 1/4

cup grated parmesan cheese: 1/4

a small bunch of freshly chopped parsley leaves

cups fresh basil leaves: 2

garlic cloves: 2

cup pine nuts: 1/4

cup olive oil: 2/3

kosher salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese: 1/2

How To Make Pesto Pasta

1. Boil a pot of water over medium heat.
2. Then put the pasta into the boiling water.
3. While the water is boiling, combine the basil leaves, garlic leaves, pine nuts in a food processor to make a basic pesto sauce. Add ½ cup of oil. Process until fully-combined.
4. Add salt, pepper and cheese. Mix thoroughly until combined with the pesto.
5. Transfer the pesto to a small bowl.
6. Cut the chicken into small pieces and cook until golden brown.
7. Now heat a large skillet over medium to high heat. Add the olive oil and butter.
8. Now add the chicken pieces into the skillet. Cook until they are golden brown. This should take at least 4 to 5 minutes.
9. Once the chicken is fully cooked, reduce the heat to medium low. Add in the pesto, cream and parmesan cheese.
10. Add the pasta to the skillet with the chicken. Add salt and pepper. Stir until well-combined.
11. Season with parmesan cheese and parsley.
12. Serve hot and enjoy with juice or a soft drink.

Trivia

• There are more than 600 pasta shapes produced worldwide.
• The Chinese have claimed to eat pasta as early as 5000 B.C.
• According to the research conducted by Land O’Lakes, pasta is one of the foods kids most frequently eat at home.
• Christopher Columbus who is known as Italy’s most famous pasta-phile was born in October. And this month is known as National Pasta Month.

Pesto sauce was first featured in the book “Genoese Cooking” written by Gio Battista Ratto and his son Giovanni in Genoa in 1863.