A fantastic recipe for rushed weeknight meals that can satisfy everyone and help clean out your crisper. It's got protein, tons of veggies and is packed with flavour
Pasta
-Store bought or homemade pesto (recipe below)
-2 cups (dry) of penne or pasta of your choice
-2 chicken breasts, diced
-1 bell pepper, diced
-1 small zucchini, sliced and quartered
-Handful of sundried tomatoes, roughly chopped
-10 asparagus spears (approximately), chopped
-2 cups of spinach
-1 onion, diced
-Optional: 2-4 tablespoons of soft unripened goat’s milk cheese
Homemade pesto
-2 cups of fresh basil leaves
-1/2 to 3Ž4 cup of freshly grated Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano
-1/3 cup pine nuts
-quality extra virgin olive oil
This is a snap to make if you have a food processor. Add the basil leaves, cheese and about two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to a food processor and blend very well for about one to two full minutes. Once it is fully blended, pour into a bowl and add enough olive oil to cover.
Without a food processor, you will need to finely dice all of the ingredients by hand, a process that definitely works but takes much longer—about 30 minutes total. The end result won’t be as smooth, but it will have a great rustic look.
Method
Place a pot of water on the stove on maximum heat until it boils.
Heat a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet-style pan over medium-high heat. Add diced chicken breast and cook, stirring pieces around until they are mostly cooked through (about 10 minutes).
Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water, stirring every few minutes to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
Add onion, pepper, asparagus, sundried tomatoes to the pan and lower heat to medium. Stir until vegetables soften, about five minutes.
Check the pasta to see if it’s cooked. I like to sample a piece to see if it is still crunchy or if it’s been cooked all the way through. Once it is cooked to your preference, strain the water and place the cooked pasta in the pan with your vegetables and chicken. Add the spinach and stir until it wilts (about 30 seconds).
Add your own pesto or a full container of store bought pesto (100-200 ml, depending on your flavour preference). Stir to combine all ingredients.
To serve, top with a few small chunks of goat cheese.
Carly Weeks