Summer Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad — Easy, Fresh Recipe

Basil Pesto

• ▢ 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• ▢ 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 lemon, juiced
• ▢ 3-4 garlic cloves
• ▢ 3 tbsp pine nuts
• ▢ 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• ▢ 1 tsp pink salt
• ▢ 1/4 tsp ground pepper

Blistered tomatoes

• ▢ 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• ▢ 1 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• ▢ 1/2 tsp sea salt

Chicken Pasta Salad

• ▢ 1 box brown rice penne pasta, (I prefer Jovial Foods gluten-free)
• ▢ 2 organic chicken breasts, (grilled, or cooked to your preferred method)
• ▢ 1 cup sundried tomatoes, (preserved in olive oil)
• ▢ 1/2 cup fresh basil
• ▢ 1 cup peas
• ▢ ground pepper
• ▢ red chili flakes

• Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water, then set aside to cool.

Basil Pesto

• Place the basil, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, pine nuts, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper in a food processor. Blend until smooth, then taste and adjust seasoning or lemon to preference.

Blistered Tomatoes

• Halve the cherry tomatoes. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the tomatoes and the crushed garlic cloves and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to blister. Remove from heat and set aside.

Chicken Pasta Salad

• Chop the sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil and cooked chicken into bite-size pieces.
• In a large bowl, toss the cooled pasta with the basil pesto until evenly coated. Add the chicken, blistered tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, peas, a few grinds of black pepper and a pinch of red chili flakes. Toss gently to combine and taste to adjust seasoning.
• Serve chilled or at room temperature. Enjoy!