Pesto pasta

There must be a hundred different pesto recipes, so I hesitate to add yet another one to the mix. If you already have your own favorite, just use that for this recipe, but if not, you may want to give this one a try. It used to feel a little fussy at first to blanch the basil, but I think it makes for a richer flavor, so I always do it now. The pesto comes from one of my favorite Italian cookbooks, Michael Chiarello’s Casual Cooking, but the rest is my own. It’s become a favorite of the younger folks in my world-my stepson asks for it every week he’s here and it’s a custom for the members of my Monday Night dinner crew to request a favorite dinner for his or her Monday birthday dinner, this pesto dish was the latest request for a 7 year old’s birthday dinner. So, if you have children, I recommend this one as a possible future favorite for all of you. It’s delicious and not that hard to make. I serve it with a Caesar salad.

Serves 4
About 45 minutes

2 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
1/2 cup kosher salt
2 cups water
2 cups firmly packed basil leaves
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1 lb penne pasta

-In a medium size bowl, dissolve kosher salt in the water. Put chicken breasts in this to brine for 30 minutes while you make the pesto.
-For pesto, bring a large pot of water to boil. I use this for both the basil and to cook the pasta in, so don’t pour it out when you make the basil. Prepare a bowl of ice water. Put the basil in a sieve and plunge it into the boiling water, pushing the leaves down into the water and stirring them so they blanch evenly.  Blanch for 15 seconds, then plunge the basil into the ice water to cool quickly.  Drain immediately, squeeze the basil dry and chop it roughly. Return water to a boil and add 1 tsp salt.
-In a blender, puree the basil with the oil, pine nuts, garlic, and salt to taste (I use 1/2 tsp).  When well blended, add the cheese and stir to combine.  Set aside.
-After 30 minutes, remove the chicken from the brine, rinse and pat dry.  Coat lightly with olive oil and grill. (I use my outdoor grill for this when the weather permits, and my panini maker/grill when it doesn’t) Add pasta to water when you put the chicken on the grill. Drain pasta when done and return to pan. Slice chicken into roughly bite size pieces when done-about 1″ by 2″ pieces.
-Add pesto to the pasta in the pan and combine. Add chicken and combine. Serve and top each serving with more Parmesan if desired. And if you like it spicy, top with crushed red pepper.