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  • Chicken Pesto Orecchiette

    1 vote
    Chicken Pesto Orecchiette
    Prep: 5 min Cook: 12 min Servings: 4
    by Nick Webster
    5 recipes
    >
    The number one mistake Americans make when using pesto is using too much. We see the little jar on the shelf and think “It’s so small! I should probably use the whole thing…” But please resist the urge! Your food will thank you for it. Follow this recipe for Chicken Pesto Orecchiette and you’ll see what I mean. The Pesto Genovese contributes subtle flavors of herbs and cheese, but it doesn’t overpower the other ingredients. Even if it feels like too little, trust me – just 1/2 cup is plenty to dress 1 pound of pasta. You want to actually taste all the fresh asparagus, rustic pasta, and garlicky chicken. Every ingredient has a role to play in the final dish. Orecchiette means “little ears” in Italian, and it’s not hard to see why. Part of the joy of crafting pasta dishes comes from making pleasing combinations of pasta shapes and toppings. By chopping everything to roughly the same size as these thumbprint-shaped noodles, you’ll find that they will cradle your sauce and every bite will be perfect!

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb Casa Visconti Orecchiette Paesane
    • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut in 1″ chunks
    • 1 clove garlic, minced
    • 1/2 Tbsp Visconti olive oil
    • 1 bunch asparagus spears, end trimmed and chopped into 1″ lengths
    • 1/2 cup Visconti Pesto Genovese (about 1/2 jar)
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • dash pepper

    Directions

    1. Start a large pot of salted water to boil. When boiling, add the pasta.
    2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Sauté the garlic in the oil for one minute (until fragrant but not brown), then add the chicken. Fry the chicken until cooked through, stirring occasionally (7-8 minutes).
    3. 3 minutes before the pasta is done cooking, add the asparagus to the pasta pot. When pasta is al dente and asparagus is crisp-tender, drain and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
    4. Return the pasta and asparagus to the pan; then add the chicken and garlic and the pesto sauce. Toss everything together, adding some of the reserved cooking water if the pasta is too dry.

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