add to shopping list Ingredients

2 to 3 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-2" cubes
2 1/2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh whole basil leaves
1/4 cup slivered almonds, blanched & toasted
2 tbs. pine nuts, toasted (optional)
1/4 tsp plus 2-3 pinches of Red Pepper Flakes
1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
1 tbs Tomato Paste (optional)
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/3 cup Good Olive Oil
1 lb. Capellini Pasta, cooked
extra olive oil for sauteeing chicken
Grated Parmesan to taste
Chopped Oregano to taste

Preparation

Sauteed Chicken

Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces and saute in olive oil over medium-high heat until chicken is cooked throughout. Keep chicken warm and set aside.

Pesto alla Trapanese

If almonds have skins, remove skins by blanching almonds for 2 minutes in boiling water then plunging immediately into cold water. Skins will come off when rubbed between fingers. Toast almonds and optional pine nuts in a small saute pan over medium heat until they are golden and fragrant.

Place almonds and pine nuts in food processor or blender. Add tomatoes, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes and optional tomato paste. Puree the mixture until large pieces are ground up. Add olive oil while running machine until you get the consistency you desire. (You may not need full amount depending on the water content of your tomatoes.) Set aside finished pesto.

Capellini Pasta

Fill a large pot with 5 to 6 quarts of water, a few pinches of salt and 1-2 tbs. of olive oil. Bring to a boil. Place pasta in boiling water and cook until pasta is al dente (about 2-3 minutes).

Reserve 2 cups of the pasta water. Drain pasta in sieve and return to pot. Pour pesto over pasta and toss to coat. If pasta is too dry, add a bit of the reserved water. Add sauteed chicken and toss together.

Serve hot pasta with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese and oregano. Garnish with fresh basil leaves if desired.

NOTE: Pesto can be made while chicken is sauteing to save time.

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Reviews

8/10/10

Theresa111 says:

I love, love Italian and most any kind of pasta dish. It's just good eats. Nice recipe.

8/13/10

jenn says:

i am going to try making this. it looks delicious.

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