I feel like chicken tonight...

The basil in my Aerogarden is pretty overgrown right now, so I wanted to make pesto to use most of it up. I love pesto with peas and pasta. My favorite cut of pasta is orecchiette, it works amazingly with peas because the peas sit in the disk and look like little oysters.
I also had some leftover asparagus, which is good with pesto as well. To round out the meal, I chose a pan roasted chicken stuffed with prosciutto and provolone. By first pan frying it, the skinless chicken develops a crispy skin, and seals in the juices. Then I finish it off in the oven and it gets really tender. I’ve found that by stuffing the chicken, when the cheese oozes out and is melted, that’s when the chicken is finished cooking.
Remember to use an oven safe pan to prepare the chicken!

Pesto & Pea Orrecchheti with Prosciutto and Provolone Stuffed Chicken

½ lb. orrecchetti

½ lb. asparagus spears, chopped

1 cup frozen peas

½ cup pesto (fresh or prepared)

Parmesan cheese

½ cup reserved pasta water (if pasta is dry)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 slices provolone cheese

2 slices prosciutto

Salt and pepper

½ tsp. dried herbs of choice (rosemary, thyme)

1 tbsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt heavily.

Heat a oven safe skillet over medium high, add olive oil.

Butterfly chicken breasts and pound out. Stuff with 1 slice each of provolone and prosciutto, fold back over. Season each side, place in pan carefully. Let the first side brown, about 3-4 minutes, flip carefully so the stuffing doesn’t come out, and cook 2 minutes. Turn heat off and place pan in the oven. Roast for about 15 minutes.

Add pasta to boiling water. During the last minute of cooking, drop in asparagus and peas to blanch them. Take ½ cup of the pasta water and set aside. Turn heat off, drain pasta and veggies, and pour back in the pot. Add in pesto and stir to combine. If the pasta is dry, add cooking water.

Plate and sprinkle with cheese.

Remove pan from oven (remember, it’s HOT) and serve chicken.

Basil Pesto:

2 cups basil leaves
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup parmesean cheese
salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
Add first 5 ingredients to a food processor or blender, pulse until chopped small, turn on and stream in olive oil until it reaches desired consistency. I like mine thicker and less oily.