Week 18: Chicken and spaghetti with pesto

Glamour magazine touted this recipe as 'the fast pasta you can even cook for company.' I was determined to see if their claim was true. (You never know. Earlier they claimed the magical powers of 'Engagement Chicken', a chicken dish that is supposed to result in a proposal. Since I am already hitched, this would be hard to test out. They also have a pregnancy meal but we are not ready to test that one out. And while I think it is a bit far fetched, I am not taking any chances.)


Chicken Spaghetti with Pesto
originally found in Nov. 2009 issue of Glamour Magazine. Adapted to my tastes.

2 oz. dry whole wheat spaghetti (I love whole wheat, Jacob hates it. Good thing the recipe called for it.)
4-6 chicken tenderloins
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp. pesto sauce
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. shredded Parmesan
Fresh basil (optional, but fun)

1. Boil the spaghetti according to directions on the package.
2. Meanwhile, heat up a saute pan over medium heat.
3. Season thawed chicken with salt and pepper. (I used sea salt.) Cook a few minutes on both sides until cooked all of the way through. When finished, slice crosswise.
4. Drain spaghetti, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking water.
5. Toss spaghetti with chicken, pesto (which I warmed in the micro for 10 seconds), olive oil and enough cooking water so that the pesto spreads evenly over the noodles.
6. Sprinkle with Parmesan and and basil on top. After the photo, we sliced the basil and put it on top.

Rating: 5. This was super easy considering I had little to prepare. We keep a jar of prepared pesto on hand, as well as grated Parmesan cheese. It was delicious, fast AND easy which is big in my book.