Chicken and Pesto Pasta

Story time! 8 years ago, Barack Obama was prepping for the 2012 presidential debates. On Air Force One, Sam Kass (his senior advisor on nutrition policy) whipped up this pasta for him – dubbed “lucky pasta” – which the president later remarked as the lucky dish that helped him succeed in those debates. Fast forward 8 years later, there’s a lot of division in our country, and a lot of work to be done. But hopefully one thing we can all agree on is that homemade pasta dishes are second to none. I’m a huge fan of all of Sam Kass’ recipes, because they’re full of important nutrients and healthy, without sacrificing any of the flavor. Homemade pesto, freshly shaved Parmesan, garlic, and perfectly cooked chicken make this dish truly fit for a president!

**The views expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the US Navy, Department of Defense, or US Government**

Chicken and Pesto Pasta

Cam

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Italian

Equipment

• food processor or blender

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb mini penne, or other pasta of choice
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
• 2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded or cut into pieces
• 1/2 lb baby spinach
• 1/4 cup pine nuts or pecans, toasted
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan, with more to garnish
• kosher salt

Instructions

 

• Cook the pasta in boiling water that's been salted, until al dente. Keep ~1 cup of the pasta water before straining out the pasta.
• While the pasta is cooking, finely chop the garlic in a food processor or blender, and then add the basil, nuts, cheese, 1/4 cup olive oil, and 1/2 tsp salt until the pesto is a coarse puree. While the processor or blender is running, stream in the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil slowly until the pesto is pretty smooth. Your precise ending consistency here is up to personal taste.
• Add the pasta back to the now empty pot it was cooked in, along with the pesto, chicken, spinach, and 1/3 cup of the pasta water. Toss thoroughly to combine all the ingredients. If the pasta seems a little dry, add slowly add more of the pasta water until the desired consistency is reached. Season with salt to taste, and optionally serve with more grated or shaved Parmesan.
• Enjoy!

Keyword basil, cheese, chicken, dinner, garlic, healthy, Pasta, pesto