Chicken Fettuccine with Pesto Cream Sauce

Oh my is this ever an amazing dish.  So pro-star too. You will be so impressed with yourself it's not even funny. I recently posted a yummy pesto recipe too, or you could also pick some up from the grocery store (I of course, highly suggest you make your own though). In Ottawa, you can get great fresh basil this time of year at Nicastros in the Glebe.  Much better tasting (and priced!) in my opinion than the usual tiny sprigs you can buy at the grocery stores. Bon appétit!

ps - My camera battery had died the day I made up this dinner, so you get the beautiful Martha picture to go along with this recipe too.

Ingredients:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound fettuccine
1/2 cup basil pesto
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:
1. Place chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap. With a meat mallet or heavy skillet, pound chicken to an even 3/4-inch thickness. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet; cook the chicken until golden brown and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Slice each piece across the grain into 4 or 5 strips; cover to keep warm.

3. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water. Drain pasta and return to pot.

4. In a small saucepan, heat pesto over low until liquefied. Stir in cream; heat until warm. Toss pasta with reserved cooking water and half the sauce. Divide among shallow bowls; top with chicken. Drizzle with remaining sauce.

- recipe cred to Martha 

Spaghetti Carbonara with Leeks & Lemon

Any time I make carbonara, I feel like I'm having a massive freak-out in the kitchen. I'm always afraid that if I don't move fast enough, the egg won't set and I'll have runny, gooey pasta. I definitely recommend having a buddy on hand for this dish. That, or have everything right ready to go so that you can move quick, quick, quick when you're mixing the egg mixture into the pasta. Quite a yummy dish this one is. Do try to get the real parmesan cheese - you won`t regret it. Bon appétit!

Ingredients
Coarse salt and ground pepper
6 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
4 leeks (white and light-green parts only), halved lengthwise, rinsed well, and thinly sliced
3/4 pound short pasta, such as campanelle or orecchiette
2 large eggs
1/2 ounce Parmesan, grated (1/4 cup), plus more for serving (optional)
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, coarsely chopped

Directions
1. Set a large pot of salted water to boil. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet. Add leeks, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until leeks are golden brown, about 10 minutes.

2. Add pasta to pot and cook according to package instructions. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, Parmesan, and lemon zest and juice. Whisk 1/4 cup pasta water into egg mixture.

3. Drain pasta and immediately add to egg mixture, along with bacon, leeks, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Sprinkle with more cheese if desired and serve immediately.

Chicken Zucchini Pistou with Penné Pasta

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First and foremost: What is Pistou you ask? I didn’t know either. Turns out that it is French pesto. You`ll definitely need a food processor for making this dish - something we invested in a couple of years back and couldn`t do without. That poor thing has been so over used that it now requires firmly inserting a pen (or BBQ skewer as is often handy) to engage the machine at all times while you`re using it.  

This dish was really yummy. Especially eating it with such wonderful ladies. The flavours are really rich yet subtle. Any cooking with cream is truly special. Truly truly. Pour yourself a big glass of wine and if you are really inspired make a salad and call it dinner. Bon appétit!

Ingredients (for 4):
4 teaspoons olive oil
2 1/2 cups sliced zucchini
1 cup packed basil leaves
1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons toasted pine nuts
4 chopped garlic cloves
1 cup chopped chicken
2 cups chopped Vidalia (or other sweet onion)
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
8 ounces penne pasta
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
1. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the zucchini and cook until tender and golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cool.

2. Put 1/4 cup of the cooked zucchini, basil, 1/4 cup cheese, pine nuts and garlic in the food processor.

3. Add the rest of the olive oil to the pan and add the onions. Cook for 10 minutes until the onions are brown. 1/2 way through, add the chicken and cook through. Cook the pasta in 6 quart of salted water. Reserve 1/3 cup cooking liquid to add to the processed zucchini mixture. Add the cooking liquid to the food processor and pulse until smooth.

4. Add the zucchini back to the pan with the pasta and the processed zucchini mixture. Add the heavy cream and salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes until everything is heated through, maybe 22 minutes. Taste for seasonings (you may need more salt and more garlic... I did).

5. Pour the pasta into a big bowl and garnish with some basil leaves, pine nuts, and cheese.

- recipe & photo cred to Baked Bree

Pasta Salad with Feta & Snow Peas

We had a whole bunch of Gilesies up this weekend so decided to serve up this pasta salad for lunch. It was a hit! It made a 2nd appearance at our picnic on the Ottawa River the next night. If you're going to be making this dish the night before, just be sure to add your scallions and cilantro just before serving. We added a bunch more vinegar because that's just the way we roll ... bon appétit!

Ingredients
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound fusilli, or other short pasta
4 ounces snow peas, strings removed, sliced diagonally into 1/2-inch-wide strips
1 yellow bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Directions
1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook fusilli until al dente, according to package instructions; add snow peas during last minute of cooking. Drain pasta and peas in a colander; rinse under cold water.

2. In a large bowl, combine pasta and peas, bell pepper, scallions, cilantro, feta, oil, vinegars, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; toss to combine. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

- recipe and photo cred to Martha