Katie's Amazing Fresh Chicken Pesto Pasta

Another one from my gorgeous friend Katie.

I do love the diversity of jarred green pesto but the real thing is just a different world of freshness and flavour!

Ingredients 

• Chicken breasts or thighs or any left over chicken
• Bag of fresh basil
• Handful of pine nuts
• Parmesan (preferably freshly grated)
• Swig of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 onion
• 500g pasta (of choice)
• Bag of fresh spinach (optional)
• Cup of frozen peas

Method

1. Cook your chicken; if you want extra chickeny flavour use left over roast chicken, or if you have more time roast some chicken thighs with a little honey, salt, pepper and olive oil - this is what I did as the first time I cooked this I did so on a Saturday. If you have less time I have discovered that it is better to cook off your chicken in a separate small frying pan, as below: 

in a little garlic and olive oil before adding it to the rest of the ingredients after stripping it on a chopping board

2. Put your pan of water on to boil ready for the pasta

3. Fry off your diced onion in your biggest frying pan or wok in a little olive oil.

4. Add frozen peas and cook through.

5. In food processor (I have a mini one - these amounts are all guess work, just add more of something if its not quite as you want it!) process one clove of garlic, 1 packet of fresh basil leaves (stalks removed) a small handful of pine nuts, and some Parmesan (shaved or grated) and process, then add extra virgin olive oil to make it a pesto consistency - and that's the pesto done!

(If you can get a small food processor like the one photographed here (from Robert Dyas and was only £16.99) you'll find making the pesto much easier; the first time I made this recipe I used my large food processor and I got in a right mess)

6. Add to the cooked and stripped chicken;

along with the pesto and some fresh spinach, stir it all round until the spinach has wilted.

7. Cook your pasta, 10 mins for dried pasta, whilst the flavours take in the other pan.

8. Once your pasta is cooked, drain and add to your wok and stir round and serve! - one word - YUM!