My Favorite Dinner - Grilled Chicken with Basil Pesto Fettucini

Grilled Chicken With Basil Pesto Fettucini

Buttered Green Beans

Corn on the Cob 

I think this is my all-time favorite dinner. I love the way it looks on the plate, and it tastes amazing! I originally got the recipe from Candace, who, like many of my blogger friends, has a whole murder of recipes* up her sleeve!

My basil, as of yesterday, July 4, 2012

Basil Pesto, upper right

In a couple days, I will be making this for dinner (again), using my own homemade basil pesto. My basil, as you can see in the photo above, is finally amounting to something. I planted a lot of seeds in late May, watered them faithfully, and with this heat wave, the stuff is growing like crazy.

Grilled Chicken with Basil Pesto Fettucini, Recipe:

In a baking dish, sprinkle boneless chicken breasts with McCormick's Perfect Pinch Mediterranean Herb seasoning.

Poke holes in the chicken breasts and pour a generous amount of Newman's Own Olive Oil and Vinegar over them.

Marinate at least 30 minutes. Half a day would be better. Grill chicken breasts until just done.

Cook fettucini (GF, as in Tinkyada brand). Drain. Add homemade basil pesto (recipe below) or Classico Traditional Basil Pesto to it. Also, add fresh spinach, sundried tomatoes and crushed red pepper to the pasta before serving.

Slice the chicken breast and serve on top of the pasta.


Basil Pesto Recipe:
From Simply Recipes: 

'Every year we plant basil and every year the plants do so well that we can't use it up fast enough. What to do? Basil pesto, of course! Here is a simple recipe. Note that pesto is always made to taste, based on the ingredients at hand. So adjust the ingredients to your taste. Most pesto recipes call for Parmesan cheese, we often use Romano which has a stronger flavor. Most basil pesto recipes call for pine nuts but you can easily substitute walnuts.

If you want to freeze the pesto you make, omit the cheese (it doesn't freeze well). Line an ice cube tray with plastic wrap, and fill each pocket with the pesto. Freeze and then remove from the ice tray and store in a freezer bag. When you want to use, defrost and add in grated Parmesan or Romano.

    * 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
    * 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
    * 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
    * 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
    * 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
    * Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.

2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Serve with pasta, or over baked potatoes, or spread over toasted baguette slices.

Makes 1 cup.'

Have you seen the price of pine nuts lately???  I'm liking walnuts better all the time, although they've really gone up in price too. What to do.

* I think 'a murder of recipes' should be an apt term for many killer recipes.

It works for crows.

'Clover Blossom'

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