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Phenomenal Chicken and Pasta in Creamy Pesto Sauce

Phenomenal Chicken and Pasta in Creamy Pesto Sauce

Name: Phenomenal Chicken and Pasta in Creamy Pesto Sauce
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 cups fresh basil; 3 cloves garlic; ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese; ⅓ cup pine nuts; 1 medium ripe tomato, chopped; ¼ cup olive oil; ¼ cup chicken broth; 1 cup white wine; 2 tablespoons dried basil; 2 teaspoons dried oregano; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips; 1 (16 ounce) package dried penne pasta; 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided; 1 large onion, diced; 1 tablespoon sugar; ½ (8 ounce) jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and sliced; ⅓ cup pine nuts; ½ cup white wine; 1 cup heavy cream; salt to taste

Rating: 4.48 stars

262 Ratings
189 Reviews
12 Photos

An extremely delicious meal: the crunch of pine nuts and the tang of sun-dried tomatoes combine with chicken and pasta in a heavenly pesto cream sauce. Be sure to taste and salt before serving, because depending on what kind of chicken broth you use, the dish may require no salt at all or may be extremely under-salted.

By GILL846

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Recipe Summary

prep:

40 mins

cook:

15 mins

total:

55 mins

Servings:

Yield:

6 servings

Nutrition Info

Directions

Step 1

Place basil, garlic, Parmesan, pine nuts, and tomato in a food processor. Gradually add olive oil, while pulsing, until mixture is smooth and creamy.

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Step 2

In a bowl, stir together chicken broth, 1 cup white wine, dried basil, oregano, and minced garlic. Stir in chicken pieces.
Step 3

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until just al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain, and rinse under cold water. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Set aside.
Step 4

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onions, and sprinkle with sugar. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts, and cook about 3 minutes. Stir in chicken and marinade. Stir in 1/2 cup white wine. Simmer chicken pieces, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
Step 5

Add pasta and pesto to the skillet. Stir in cream, and cook until the sauce is thickened. Adjust salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, and serve with freshly grated Parmesan.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:

943 calories; protein 45.7g 91% DV; carbohydrates 71.1g 23% DV; fat 49.9g 77% DV; cholesterol 126.7mg 42% DV; sodium 220.6mg 9% DV. Full Nutrition

Reviews (189)

Most helpful positive review

PRINCESS20NY

04/08/2008

Even though this was a lot of work I give it a 5 because it was awesome. You can taste the different flavors separately and thogether they blend perfectly. I followed this recipe to a T and it came out super. I didn't have any issues with the sauce not thickening but if you're worried about it I suggest a) either not adding all of the cream at the end which I suspect wouldn't change the flavor that much or b) before adding the cream mix into it 1 or 2 TBSP flour mix it up and then pour it in and cook for a few minutes. Loved it! Read More

Helpful

(135)

Most helpful critical review

LSBUI

01/04/2010

I would not call this phenomenal. Thankfully I only made half a batch. That said a half a batch is huge and enough for 4 people. Read More

Helpful

(4)

262 Ratings

5 star values: 171
4 star values: 62
3 star values: 18
2 star values: 6
1 star values: 5

Reviews: Most Helpful

Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest

PRINCESS20NY

04/07/2008

Helpful

(135)

CHEF1231

08/24/2005

The title says it all - Phenomenal! For a healthy alternative I used 2% milk instead of heavy cream and the sauce still turned out great. I definitely recommend this dish. Read More

Helpful

(88)

Chuck Sampson

08/12/2006

I thought this was A delicious recipe! A few reviewers had said they had a hard time getting the liquid to thicken up but I had no problem. As with most cream pastas the thickening takes place when you remove it from the heat and set it aside for 5 minutes or so. I served this meal with caeser salad and garlic bread. I will be making this again for sure. I loved making that fresh pesto and this dish will definetly need salt. I added three teaspoons and then put the salt on the table for everyone else to add to it if they wanted to. Even after 3 teaspoons it needed more. The flavor comes alive once you put the salt in it will seem bland without it. Read More

Helpful

(86)

mls

03/08/2006

This is a great recipe. I made a couple of changes to reduce the fat content and to increase the amount of sauce. I substituted 15 oz of chicken stock for the heavy cream and then thickened the sauce with half and half and grated Romano cheese. Read More

Helpful

(53)

joy-of-jesus-smileymom

09/24/2007

Really really good. It makes a ton--at least 6 GIANT servings. I followed the recipe except I used a heaping teaspoon of chicken base paste (like bouillon from Sam's) instead of broth or water. I then added sauteed mushrooms at the end (after tasting) and I really loved the addition. I don't know how thick the sauce is supposed to be but it was a bit thin easily swiped up with crusty bread. I'd bet slightly underdoing the pasta and then cooking it a while in the sauce would thicken it by soaking into the pasta. Last but not least I had to use a big pot NOT a skillet. I'm surprised no one else commented on this. Anyway YUM!! Read More

Helpful

(38)

Lauri

11/23/2009

This was awesome. I made it like the recipe said but accidentally doubled the sun-dried tomatoes. I think I'll do that on purpose next time. In addition I'll probably add a few more pine nuts at the end because I like the flavor and the crunch. Like others noted it says it will feed 6 but the truth is it will feed them not only dinner but lunch as well!:) The one thing that surprised me was that I was using a super larger skillet and by the time I got to the last step there wasn't enough room. I had to dump it all in the large pot I had used to cook the pasta. So keep that in mind if you make the 6-serving recipe. The leftovers were great for lunch the next several days. I'm recommending this recipe to all the cooks I know. Read More

Helpful

(29)

kcobbva

01/01/2008

I signed up for ALL Recipies today just to rate this recipie. Made it after getting a cuisinart Food Processor for Christmas. Man it was absolutley fantastic. I sliced the chicken into small pieces and only used 4 breasts after seeing the amount of chicken I had piled up. I followed the rest to the letter. I would suggest it makes about 12 servings (possibly more). The flavor was fantastic and my wife was very impressed. This WILL be a recipie I will use when we have special guests come over for dinner! Thanks. Read More

Helpful

(26)

tbackun

09/09/2005

This was great! It was fairly simple to make but came out wonderful. Worked really well with a caeser salad and crusty bread to soak up the sauce. I definately recommend. Read More

Helpful

(19)

TRISH

12/21/2009

Made this recipe as written with one exception. Instead of heavy cream I used fat free 1/2 & 1/2. This is a wonderful product and the recipe turned out very well with many compliments. Read More

Helpful

(19)

LSBUI

01/04/2010

I would not call this phenomenal. Thankfully I only made half a batch. That said a half a batch is huge and enough for 4 people. Read More

Helpful

(4)

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Nutritional Information

Phenomenal Chicken and Pasta in Creamy Pesto Sauce

Servings Per Recipe: 6
Calories: 943

% Daily Value *

protein: 91 %

carbohydrates: 23 %

exchange other carbs:

dietary fiber: 23 %

sugars:

fat: 77 %

saturated fat: 75 %

cholesterol: 42 %

vitamin a iu: 38 %

niacin equivalents: 202 %

vitamin b6: 61 %

vitamin c: 47 %

folate: 10 %

calcium: 19 %

iron: 36 %

magnesium: 52 %

potassium: 30 %

sodium: 9 %

thiamin: 29 %

calories from fat:

percent of calories from carbs:

percent of calories from fat:

percent of calories from protein:

percent of calories from sat fat:

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.

Reviews for: Photos of Phenomenal Chicken and Pasta in Creamy Pesto Sauce

1 of 189

All Reviews

PRINCESS20NY

04/07/2008

Helpful

(135)

CHEF1231

08/24/2005

The title says it all - Phenomenal! For a healthy alternative I used 2% milk instead of heavy cream and the sauce still turned out great. I definitely recommend this dish.

Helpful

(88)

Chuck Sampson

08/12/2006

Helpful

(86)

mls

03/08/2006

Helpful

(53)

joy-of-jesus-smileymom

09/24/2007

Helpful

(38)

Lauri

11/23/2009

Helpful

(29)

kcobbva

01/01/2008

Helpful

(26)

tbackun

09/09/2005

This was great! It was fairly simple to make but came out wonderful. Worked really well with a caeser salad and crusty bread to soak up the sauce. I definately recommend.

Helpful

(19)

TRISH

12/21/2009

Made this recipe as written with one exception. Instead of heavy cream I used fat free 1/2 & 1/2. This is a wonderful product and the recipe turned out very well with many compliments.

Helpful

(19)

LSBUI