Juicy Chicken Pesto Pasta with Walnuts and Leek
Serves: 6-8
Time: 30 Minutes
1 leek, chopped
1/2 cup crushed walnuts
500g chicken breast (or 2 medium breast pieces)
2 birds eye chillies, seeds removed and washed
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 sprig rosemary
3-4 thyme sprigs
Olive green organics royal quinoa and rice spaghetti
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil for cooking
For the pesto:
1 bunch fresh green basil leaves
60g pine nuts (or raw cashews as a substitute)
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
1. In a mixing bowl, combine the birds eye chillies, thyme, rosemary, and garlic with a drizzle of olive oil.
2. Place the chicken breasts in a pan or oven safe tray.
3. Spread the chilli and herb mixture over the chicken breasts.
4. Place a piece of baking paper on top and use a meat mallet or rolling pin to gently pound the chicken until it softens and thins out, and the ingredients are crushed together.
5. Place the pan over medium heat and cook the chicken breasts with the herb, chilli and garlic mixture for 3-4 minutes on each side or until they are cooked through.
6. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside to rest. Ensure you remove any sprigs or stems from the rosemary or thyme.
7. While the chicken is resting, prepare the pesto. In a food processor, combine the basil leaves, pine nuts (or cashews), nutritional yeast, lemon juice, cooked garlic cloves from the chicken pan, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse until the ingredients are roughly chopped. Gradually drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil while the food processor is running until a smooth pesto consistency is achieved. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Using the same pan used for the chicken, remove the sprigs of rosemary and thyme. Add the crushed walnuts and chopped leek to the pan and cook them over medium heat until the leek is caramelised and the walnuts are toasted.
9. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti pasta according to the instructions on the packet until al dente. Before draining the pasta, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.
10. Once the leeks and walnuts are caramelised, add the pesto to the pan and mix well. 11. Add the cooked spaghetti to the pan along with 1 cup of the reserved pasta water.
12. Toss everything together until the pasta is well coated with the pesto sauce.
13. Slice the rested chicken breasts into thin strips. Add the chicken slices to the pasta mixture and gently combine.
Serve the pesto chicken pasta with a generous portion of shredded pecorino or any cheese on top. Enjoy!
Note: Feel free to adjust the seasoning and ingredients according to your taste preferences.