Pistachio Pesto Chicken
This pesto pistachio chicken is goooood. You can't say no to chicken and pasta. Pretty simple too, the hardest part is making the pesto.
Foto: The Food Charlatan — The Food CharlatanIngredients
- 4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless )
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound angel hair spaghetti (whole wheat)
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (crushed)
- 1/4 cup pecorino Romano cheese (finely grated)
- 1 cup pistachios (shelled)
- 10 basil leaves (large, torn)
- 1/4 cup parsley (flat leaf, torn)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/3 -1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Steps
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Pat chicken dry so that it will brown properly. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large oven-safe skillet (I used cast iron) on medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When the oil starts to shimmer, add chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides. It will take about 4-5 minutes each.
While the chicken is cooking, shell your pistachios. Try not to eat them all. Add pistachios, basil, parsley, garlic and cheese to a food processor. Blend until the nuts are coarsely chopped, then with the processor on, stream in 1/3 cup of olive oil. I used a bit more than this; the more you add, the more spreadable it will be. It's up to you. Add in 1/4 teaspoon of salt and blend once more. Spread a thin layer of pesto on top of each chicken breast in the skillet, then place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 165.
Boil the pasta according to package directions. Once finished, drain pasta and toss with remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, about 1/4 cup of pesto, the red pepper flakes and grated pecorino. Add more pesto to taste. Once chicken is done, remove and spread a little more pesto on top. Serve with the pasta.
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