Chicken Pesto Mozzarella Pasta

Due to the fact that C and I live so far away from our families, it's usually only him that gets to taste my cooking.  So, while I was in Traverse City and had my parents and grandparents around, I decided to treat them one night!  Simple ingredients, but the outcome was pretty tasty.

 

In a large skillet, over medium heat, cook chicken breasts until about 3/4 of the way cooked through.

Do you all remember my friend Nicole and her blog Thought For Food and Other Things?  She's a friend of mine from my home town and our parents know each other.  She's also very Italian, as is her Dad.  Turns out her Dad brings my Mom a container of his homemade pesto once a year, how nice!  Especially nice for me because I was able to cook and eat some! Slice fresh mozzarella, tomatoes to put on top of the pesto.

Line a baking sheet with foil and non stick spray.  Cover the chicken breasts with the pesto.  

Cover with slices of tomatoes.  Bake in the oven at 350 F degrees for around 10 minutes to make sure the chicken is cooked through and that the tomato and pesto flavors start to sink in.  While the chicken is cooking in the oven cook whatever pasta you fancy according to package directions.  

Cover with mozzarella and put back in the oven for around 2 minutes to melt the cheese.  When pasta is finished cooking, drain and coat with olive oil and any leftover pesto you might have.

Serve chicken on top of pasta.  This dish has a bit of everything good.  The homemade pesto was awesome, and made me want to make my own.  Fresh and homemade just makes such a difference.  Enjoy :)

Chicken Pesto Mozzarella Pasta

Serves 4

4 chicken breasts

1/2 cup pesto

8 oz fresh mozzarella

2 tomatoes

pasta

olive oil to taste

In a large skillet, over medium heat cook chicken breasts until about 3/4 of the way cooked through.

Line a baking sheet with foil and non stick spray.  Cover the chicken breasts with the pesto. 

Cover with slices of tomatoes.  

Bake in the oven at 350 F degrees for around 10 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

While the chicken is cooking in the oven cook pasta according to package directions.

Cover with mozzarella and put back in the oven for around 2 minutes to melt the cheese.  

When pasta is finished cooking, drain and coat with olive oil and any leftover pesto you might have.

Serve chicken on top of pasta.