Mama's Chicken Pasta Recipe

My mother knew food! She knew how it went together like the back of her hand. One of my favorite chicken pasta dishes, she use to make, is Chicken Penne Pesto. This was not a childhood favorite as I was much older when she discovered (and tweaked) this recipe. Her neighbor had given it to her to try, and after some of my mothers famous 'tweaking', she did.

When she told me about it, I remember thinking that anything Italian style was brave for Mom to try. Pasta in my childhood was rarely seen, it definitely wasn't on the once-a-week menu! One lucky evening she made it and pulled it off. Not long after that, I too was adding it to the family menu.

Pasta is an economical way to feed the family. It's easy to whip up for the masses or a few. This fabulous chicken pasta recipe makes a nice change to the often seen standard tomato pasta dish. It's so easy and tastes great. I served mine with a small side salad and add mushrooms or cherry tomatoes for variation.

Chicken Penne Pesto

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

* 2 large skinless, boneless chicken breast, diced
* 10oz/300g penne or other pasta
* 5T pine nuts
* 1t course sea salt
* 3T fresh basil, finely chopped or 3t dried
* 4T extra virgin olive oil
* 1-2 cloves of garlic, cruched
* Parmesan cheese to sprinkle

Directions:

1. Boil the pasta in salted water with a little olive oil - stops it sticking together.
2. Fry the diced chicken in a pan or skillet with minimal oil.
3. While the pasta and chicken are cooking, grind the pine nuts and sea salt in a mortar or blender.
4. Add the basil, olive oil and garlic to the ground pine nuts and salt, mix well. Hey presto you've got pesto!
5. Put the cooked pasta and chicken in the same dish and mix through the pesto. Try not to over mix. Sprinkle over with Parmesan cheese and extra pine nuts if desired.

By: Joan A Johnson

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