Balsamic Pesto Chicken Pasta

Balsamic Pesto Chicken Pasta

This recipe takes a little bit more prep time than most nights because you will need to make your own pesto sauce. Nothing too major but realize this ahead of time. Or go for store bought but I promise the homemade will taste better.

Here is what you will need

Fresh pesto sauce

1 box of wheat penne pasta

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Extra virgin olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

3 garlic cloves

5 ripe Roma tomatoes

1/3 cup of kalamata olives

Directions

First blend your homemade pesto sauce before beginning

In a large skillet cover the bottom of the pan with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and heat on medium high

Cut chicken breast into bite size pieces and place into the skillet

Salt and pepper the chicken and brown the chicken. After 3 minutes place in the fresh minced garlic

You may need to drain the pan if there becomes too much juice from the chicken. This will help speed up the browning process

Aside boil water and prepare the pasta according to the package

Meanwhile add in diced Roma tomatoes and allow them to cook down for about 3 minutes

Next add in the olives (optional) and 1/3 cup of pesto sauce

Allow to simmer for a few minutes

After draining the noodles add in the remaining pesto sauce that you had made earlier.
Combine pasta into the chicken mixture - allow it to sit for a few minutes then enjoy! 

Enjoy! Serves 4

Easy Oven Italian Chicken Potato and Green Bean Bake

Oven Italian Chicken and Potato Green Bean Bake

Last week my son and I went to one of the local farms so that he could play in the "corn box" with the tractors. He loves tractors and they have a fun little set up. I agreed but when we got there I insisted that we buy something first because we couldn't just play with the corn box. We picked red skin potatoes and fresh green beans. When we brought them home that day I decided I would make them for dinner that night. We had a few packets of Good Seasons Italian Dressing dressing laying around so I went for it and things turned out VERY GOOD!

Needed ingredients

2 boneless chicken breasts

2 packets of Good Seasoning Italian Dressing 

1 lb fresh green beans

6 small red skin potatoes

Directions 

1. Prepare the Good Seasons Dressing mix according to the package

2. Cut chicken and place in a bowl to marinde - use half of the prepared marinade on the chicken

3. Cut potatoes into wedges and trim the ends off of the green beans then place into a seperate bowl and pour remaining marinade over to cover. Stir to coat potatoes and green beans. 

4. Place in the fridge for 1 hr to flavor

5. Combine all ingredients into a 13x9 glass baking pan 

6. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hr at 375 degrees