Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta

The first time I ever tasted pesto was at TASIS. We had a school chef who made all our meals that was amazing with the pasta sauces. I still dream about his carbonara. His name was Chefy (clever, huh?). He was the typical Italian gangster looking guy to me. Tony Soprano type. Big guy, balding, talked A LOT with his hands. We loved him. I think us kids annoyed the heck out of him, but we loved him all the same. 

He served pesto one day at lunch time shortly after I arrived at the school. I had never had it and really didn't know what it was. One bite and I was hooked. It could have been the special Chefy touch that made it so good, but the creamy, sweet taste of the basil I knew I would never forget. 

I frequently make my own pesto. I make a big vat of it and portion it out into single servings and freeze it. Tonight, sadly, I didn't have any homemade so I improvised and bought bottled pesto. I don't remember the brand I bought, but it was surprisingly flavorful. 

Make this dish. You can't go wrong with cream, pesto and pasta. 

Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta

Recipe from Love From the Oven

Serves 6

• 7 ounces pesto sauce homemade or jarred
• 1 pound penne pasta or other pasta shape
• 1 c heavy cream
• 3 c warm grilled chicken sliced or roughly chopped
• shredded parmesan for garnish optional
• pine nuts for garnish optional

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente pasta.

Prior to draining the pasta, save about ½ cup of the cooking water. Drain pasta well.

Toss pesto sauce with cooked pasta. Add heavy cream and toss again. Add pasta water, a little at a time, to thin the sauce if needed.

Add the chicken and toss to coat. Top with extra parmesan cheese and pine nuts.