Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H. I realize I tend to exaggerate a bit (hey, I’m a writer), but not so when it comes to the awesomeness that is PESTO. I’m so happy for this time of year because we keep a basil plant or THREE in the kitchen for anytime use. Where we live, it is difficult to keep a basil plant around in the cold winter, but already the tiny little plant we picked up is growing like crazy. Sooo… Once you learn to make pesto and realize how easy it truly is, you’ll make it all the time and find ways to incorporate it into your meals. And, you’ll begin to change things up a little just to see how it tastes. HINT: It usually tastes AWESOME. Depending. I mean, you don’t want to go TOO crazy, but you’d be surprised with what you can do and still get away with creating something delicious. This recipe is so easy, you’ll have it done in far less than 30 minutes! I love it. Additions include lemon and garlic, but that’s really just the start. Let’s talk pine nuts for one. They are PRICEY! I love them. They are so buttery and unlike any other nut, but did you know you can swap them out? For this recipe I used pecans that I lightly pan roasted, but you can also try almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, etc. Yes, the flavor changes a bit, but in a great way. How about cheese? Swap out the parmesan for nutty manchego cheese for this recipe, but there is a world of hard cheeses to work with. Hard cheeses are needed here, otherwise a melty type cheese will gum up the works. Before you ask, YES, you can and SHOULD do this with superhots. Superhot pesto, anyone? Sign me up right away! I tossed on some seared asparagus for this recipe, because ASPARAGUS. I love those, too. AND extra roasted jalapeno peppers. Do I need to state the reason? #JalapenoLove. #JalapenoObsession. #MikeisCrazy. We loved how this one turned out and are both looking forward to a long spring and summer filled with pesto. Enjoy! Cook the Chicken. Heat a pan to medium heat and sear them 3-4 minutes per side, until they are cooked through. Set aside. Boil the Noodles. While chicken is cooking, get your pasta going by bringing a large pot of salted water to boil. Boil the pasta noodles according to your box directions. Should be 10 minutes or so. I used rotini noodles! Garlic. Splash the same pan with oil and add garlic clove. Toss and cook about a minute or so, until you can smell the garlic. Into the food processor it goes. Food Processor. To the food processor, add spinach, basil, 1 roasted jalapeno pepper, olive oil, and manchego cheese. Process to form your pesto. If you’d like to thin out your pesto, add a couple tablespoons of the pasta water and process. Finish the Pasta. Drain pasta and toss it with the pesto. Serve with extra sliced jalapeno peppers and top with seared asparagus spears, if desired. Enjoy! Such a great pasta dish. Boom! Done! Looks delicious, doesn’t it? Spicy chicken pesto pasta is ready to serve. I love this stuff. I need to make it again soon! I love a tasty basil pesto on just about anything. I hope your family loves it.
