Shredded Pesto Chicken Linguini
(Serves 6-8)
Oh how I love vividly green pasta!
Pesto is like a secret weapon for taste. You can add it to protein, pasta, or vegetables and it tastes phenomenal. I had pesto shredded chicken left over from a party- it made a great mini appetizer. I was like- sandwich? salad? soup? pasta? You may be just beginning to sense my obsession here…
Shredded Pesto Chicken
3 cups basil leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons pine nuts
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 large boiled chicken breasts (if you boil the chicken in chicken stock you create a super rich broth for use in soup-2x the chicken taste!)
Linguini:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large zucchini (makes 2 cups when diced)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 box linguini, cooked according to package instructions
4 cups baby arugula
To make your pesto:
In a Cuisinart, mix basil leaves, olive oil, parmesan, and pine nuts and pulse until evenly blended. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Shred boiled chicken after it has cooled and mix with pesto (add additional olive oil if necessary to spread the pesto through all the chicken).
Next, in a large saute pan, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Add zucchini and cook for 4-5 minutes, until it starts to become tender and takes on a golden brown color. Stir in minced garlic as well as cooked linguini, chicken, and arugula (I worked in batches since its a large recipe and then stirred once cooked in a large bowl).
Mix fully and serve warm. Enjoy!
Tags: Italian dinner, linguini recipe, pesto chicken and pasta, recipe for pesto, recipe for pesto chicken, shredded chicken
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