PALATE PLEASURES | Recipe: Patzee's Chicken Pesto Pasta

I am  a very big fan of pesto sauce. It's because of the distinct flavor it gives to the dish. I initially posted this recipe back in 2011, but it has been ages since I accessed that blog; I forgot the password.So, here you go! I'm posting it again.

My all-time favorite pasta :)

Before I give you the recipe of this delicious dish, let me give you a brief background about this kind of sauce.



Pesto (Italian pronunciation: [pesto], Genoese: [ˈpestu]) is a sauce originating in Genoa in the Liguria region of northern Italy (pesto alla genovese). The name is the contracted past participle of the Genoese word pestâ (Italian: pestare), which means to pound, to crush, in reference to the sauce's crushed herbs and garlic. This same Latin root through Old French also gave rise to the English word pestle.

Pesto is prepared in a marble mortar with a wooden pestle. The basil leaves are washed, dried, placed in the mortar with garlic and coarse salt, and crushed to a creamy consistency. The pine nuts are added and crushed together with the other ingredients. When the nuts are well-incorporated into the "cream", grated cheese and then olive oil are added and mixed. In a tight jar (or simply in an air-tight plastic container), pesto can last in the refrigerator up to a week, and can also be frozen for later use.Commercial pesto is commonly available in supermarkets in either green (original) or red (with sun-dried tomatoes or red bell peppers) varieties, produced by major manufacturers or under a generic or cheaper brand. Cashew nuts or walnuts are often used instead of pine nuts, because they are less expensive and have a similar texture. Cheaper oils and other herbs, like parsley, may also be used. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pesto

Enough about the history of the sauce! Now lets go to the recipe of the delicious dish pictured above.

Ingredients:


400g Linguine
4-5 Tbsp Filippo Berio Classic Green Pesto (available in SM Supermarket or Save More)
4 Tbsp virgin olive oil
1/4 K chicken breast fillet, cut into small strips
1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Onion finely chopped
Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper


Cooking Procedure:


1. Boil pasta according to package procedure. Set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet.
3. Sweat onions in the hot oil and turn heat low.
4. Put chicken strips until it is slightly brown.
5. When chicken is slightly brown put the garlic until slightly toasted. (make sure you DON'T burn the garlic!)
6. Take out of the heat. Mix in Filippo Berio classic green pesto. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Toss pasta in the sauce.

8. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese (lots of it!) 


Makes 6-10 servings.

Note: the proportion in this recipe is based on my own liking. This blog is not sponsored by any of the brand mentioned above.

reference: 

history of Pesto sauce: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pesto