Glitter for Breakfast: Happy Tummy Talk #1 : Chicken Pesto Rotini Pasta

Two blog posts in a row? It doesn't hurt, right? I was just on a writing roll right now. However, being a novice in putting up my thoughts out in the open aka this journal online, I am not really sure what type of things I should write about. Maybe there is a category I SHOULD write about but to be honest, I just WANT to write about anything under the sun. Hence, after a series of blog posts about personal life events, I thought of sharing one of my favorite, if not my favorite, pasta dishes, Chicken Pesto. For my first food post (yes, I plan to make this a cooking series), I thought what better way to make your tummy happy than a healthy Italian dish like this. Agree?

For this particular recipe, I used Rotini or the corkscrew-looking pasta and made pesto sauce from scratch.

If this looks appetizing to you and you love anything pesto like I do, keep reading! ♥

Here are the ingredients you will be needing:

Any brand of pine nuts and parmesan cheese will do but for cheese, I prefer the wedges over the bottled ones, just because you can freshly grate it yourself. For olive oil, just make sure to get the extra virgin one. Basil leaves are pretty easy to find. I hope I had a basil plant at home but I don't, so I had to buy from the supermarket. If you have one, make sure to use it for extra leafy freshness! :)

Lastly, pick up a pasta shape you adore.

Being a non-long pasta lover, my personal favorite is penne and rotini.

Let's begin, shall we?

STEPS:

FIRST --- Throw in 2 spoonfuls of pine nuts in a small pan for roasting. This will only take a minute or two so take the nuts out of the pan when it turns slightly golden brown. This step is crucial to bring the nutty flavor out. Then, set aside.

SECOND --- Now is a good time to boil 450 grams of pasta into a large cooking pot, so it will be ready right in time for the pesto sauce. For those who have not prepared pasta before, make sure the all of the pasta is submerged in water. Additionally, reaching its boiling point does not mean it is ready. A tip would be stabbing one piece with a fork to know if it is soft enough. I personally like al dente (a little firm) pasta so don't let it boil for too long if you prefer the same.

THIRD --- Prepare 4-5 cups of basil leaves (enough to coat 450 grams of pasta) and throw it into a food processor. Chop the 2 cloves of garlic and add it in with the roasted pine nuts.

FOURTH --- Squeeze out a quarter or less of a lemon. I love the citrus taste in my pesto, so you can add less or skip the lemon if you don't like it.

FIFTH --- Put on the lid and start the processor until the mixture is completely grounded.

SIXTH --- Pour in the extra virgin olive oil bit by bit while grinding until the mixture reaches a creamy consistency. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.

SEVENTH --- Place the mixture into a bowl and add a good amount of parmesan cheese. For me, the cheesier, the better.

EIGHTH --- Now onto the meat part. Fry the chicken under medium heat until it is slightly brown in color.

NINTH --- Drain and transfer the pasta into a mixing bowl. Mix the sauce with the pasta and add in the chicken. For my own liking, I added roasted tomato. Just pan fry it with a little bit of olive oil and I promise, the tomato flavor changes the pesto game ten times better. That is, at least, my opinion. See for yourself!