Chicken Pesto Linguine

My friend Melissa recently emailed me with this recipe and she had me at the word pesto!  I don't know about you, but I LOVE anything with pesto in it...yum, yum!!  This recipe did not disappoint.  The pictures don't do it justice at all.  It was easy and delish!

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Chicken Pesto Linguine

2 chicken breasts

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup water

12 oz. linguine

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese 

1 teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon parsley

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 to 1/2 cup pesto, to taste  (I went for the full 1/2 cup!)

1/4 to 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts or walnuts

Preheat oven to 350.  Toss chicken, oil, and Italian seasoning.  (This is the only part of the recipe that I would change.  I thought there was way too much Italian seasoning.  I would do much less the second time around. there are so many other flavors in the end that you don't need this.)  Add 1/2 cup water to pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until cooked through.  Cook linguine according to package directions and set aside.  Remove chicken from oven and cool.  Pull into small strips.

 Bring chicken stock, Parmesan cheese, basil and parsley to a simmer.

 In a large serving bowl, toss lemon juice, butter, pesto, pine nuts, cooked chicken, and chicken stock mixture until coated.

 Allow flavors to combine for 5-10 minutes and serve warm.

Mmm...this was so good!  Enjoy!  :)

Dijon Chicken Linguine with Mushrooms and Toasted Almonds

I have one word to say about this recipe...AMAZING!!!  It really is simply amazing.  You MUST make this soon...it is fantastic!  There are a few steps, but it isn't hard at all.  It moves pretty quick, so just set all of your ingredients out with all of your measuring spoons and you will be ready to go.  This recipe definitely tastes restaurant quality!  I got it from Rock Recipes and will definitely be back to try more of their recipes.  YUMMY!!

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Dijon Chicken Linguine with Mushrooms and Toasted Almonds

350 gram package fresh linguine, cooked
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I just used 3)
1 cup mushrooms (I used more than a cup because I heart mushrooms!)
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves minced garlic
Salt and pepper to season

1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds

Heat olive oil in a large heavy bottomed frying pan over medium low heat. Add chicken breasts, garlic, season with salt and pepper and continue to fry the chicken until completely cooked.  (I had to scoop out the garlic after a few  minutes because it was becoming too brown.  Next time I will add the garlic at the very end when the chicken is almost done.)

Remove chicken from pan and hold in a warm oven.

 Add 4 oz white wine to the pan and simmer until volume is reduced by  half.

Then add 2 cups whipping cream, 3 tbsp Dijon mustard and salt and pepper to season.  Simmer until sauce thickens enough to coat a metal spoon.  (This didn't take long.)

 Return Chicken to the sauce, add the mushrooms and simmer for an additional 2 minutes. 

 Serve over cooked linguine. Sprinkle with toasted slivered almonds.

I'll say it again, this is seriously AMAZING! Enjoy!  :)

Chicken Pasta Salad

I don't know about you, but I STRUGGLE with what to eat for lunch every day.  BIG.TIME!  I'm not a sandwich person, unless it is from someplace yummy, so I normally end up eating something random for lunch.  Last week I remembered a recipe that my friend Jessica used to bring to school when someone on our team had a birthday.  It is so yummy and crazy easy.  I decided to make it for dinner one night and then munch on it for lunch for several days.  Best idea ever!  I will definitely be doing this more often!

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Chicken Pasta Salad

1 package rotini noodles cooked and drained (I use the garden kind with the different colors...makes it pretty...because you know, that is important!)

2-3 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded

1 can chopped tomatoes, drained

1 can chopped tomatoes with basil, oregano, and garlic, drained

1 (3 oz) can chopped ripe olives (I'm not an olive fan, so I leave these guys out!)

1 bunch green onions, chopped (I did about 6)

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (I did a full cup)

Italian dressing to taste

Ready for EASY...mix all ingredients together!  Seriously, it doesn't get any easier than that!!  I usually let it sit overnight before serving...it seems to just get better. 

I do have to mention that this makes a TON, so it is great for a lunch with the girls or even a shower.  It lasted us DAYS!  Enjoy!  :)

Saucy Penne & Three Cheese Bake

I had to take dinner to a friend a few weeks ago and remembered this recipe. I got this recipe at my bridal shower 11 years ago! I hadn't made it in a while, and I am now so happy to have rediscovered it! It is the perfect meal to take to someone or the perfect meal to have at home if you are wanting lasagna without the fuss!

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Saucy Penne & Three Cheese Bake

1/2 pound cooked Penne Pasta

1/2 pound lean ground beef

1 26 ounce jar spicy tomato sauce (I don't always use spicy tomato sauce...it depends on what you are in the mood for.)

1 15 ounce container of Ricotta cheese

8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (divided into 2 cups)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg

Preheat oven to 350. In saucepan over medium heat, brown ground beef and drain off the fat. Add pasta sauce. In medium bowl, combine Ricotta, one cup of mozzarella, parmesan, and egg. In a lightly greased pan, layer cooked penne pasta and meat/sauce mixture.

Then, layer cheese mixture.
Finally, sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese over the top.

Bake 35-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Yum! So easy and so good. Enjoy! :)

Penne Pasta with Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce

To be honest, I don't even remember how I stumbled across this next recipe, but I printed it out from the Very Best Baking website. Very glad I did because it was INCREDIBLY easy and so, so good! I'm not a big fan of just pasta for dinner, so I baked some chicken and served it on top with a side of green beans. I think adding the chicken absolutely made the meal, so I highly recommend it!

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Penne Pasta with Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce

2 cups (8 oz.) dry penne pasta

8 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (about 1/3 cup)

1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLE CARNATION Evaporated Lowfat 2% Milk

2 cups (8-oz. pkg.) shredded Italian-style four-cheese blend

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Prepare pasta according to package directions, adding sun-dried tomatoes to boiling pasta water for last two minutes of cooking time; drain.

Meanwhile, combine evaporated milk, cheese, basil, garlic powder and pepper in medium saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted. Remove from heat.

Add pasta and sun-dried tomatoes to cheese sauce; stir until combined.

Like I said earlier, adding the chicken absolutely made the meal, so I wouldn't skip this part if I were you! Enjoy! :)

Pasta with Cream Sauce

I'm not a huge pasta person, but when I saw this recipe I just had to try it because it looked so light. I'm glad I did because this is delicious! The original recipe which came from Taste of Home is just for the pasta, but I added some baked chicken and made a meal out of it. Yum, yum!

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Pasta with Cream Sauce

1 package (16 ounces) bow tie pasta

1 small red onion, chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced (I only used 3 because 4 seemed like a lot.)

3/4 cup chicken broth

1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh basil

1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano

1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Cook pasta according to pasta directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.

Stir in the broth, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cook for 8 minutes or until reduced by about half.
Stir in cream. Cook, uncovered, 8-10 minutes longer or until the sauce is reduced to 1-1/4 cups. Drain pasta; toss with sauce.

Again, the recipe was just for the pasta, but I seasoned some chicken, baked it, and put it on top. I HIGHLY recommend putting chicken with it...it was SO GOOD like this! Talk about an easy, all in one meal! Enjoy! :)

Pesto Pepper Tortellini

Yummy, yummy, yummy...that describes this new dish that I made last week! The best part about it, is that I see SO MANY variations to it. It was great the way I made it, but I can definitely see myself adding some ingredients next time.

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Pesto Pepper Tortellini

1 package (19 oz) frozen cheese tortellini

1/2 cup julienned sweet red pepper (I glanced too quickly at this recipe on the way to the grocery store and picked up a red bell pepper...it was great though!)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup butter

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup ground walnuts

2 tablespoons minced fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil (I used fresh)

1 tablespoon chopped green onion or chives

Prepare tortellini according to package directions.

Meanwhile, saute red pepper and garlic in butter until pepper is crisp-tender.

Stir in cream, cook for 8-10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add the walnuts, basil and onion; heat through.
Drain tortellini; add to sauce and toss to coat.

Again, SO YUMMY!!! I am a huge mushroom fan, so I think they would be a fantastic addition to this. Also, if you wanted to add some chicken, I think it would be great also! Enjoy! :)