Basil Grilled Chicken

Here's another one of those recipes that my family fell in love with. I couldn't find any basil at the market the week I made this, and my basil in the garden is pretty much used up. So I made a new Parsley and Sunflower Seed Pesto. You might want to try it for a change of taste.

I used the Barilla Celantini pasta for this dish because the twists hold the pesto better. You want all the flavor you can get in your pasta.





Basil Grilled Chicken
Winter Mix Vegetables
Pasta with Pesto

Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Wax paper
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 green onions, finely chopped
3 leaves basil, finely chopped
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp white wine
2 tsp Dijon mustard
¼ to ½ cup of chicken stock
1 small jar of pesto or make your own quickly with my Basil Pesto recipe
1 lb of celantini or fusilli or other spiral pasta
1 package of winter mix vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots)

Preparation:
If you are making your own Basil Pesto, do it the night before to let the flavors mingle.
Boil water for the pasta.
Lay the chicken breasts between 2 sheets of wax paper, and pound with a kitchen mallet.
Sprinkle the salt and pepper on the chicken.
Spray the indoor grill with cooking spray.
Grill the breasts until brown and the juice runs clear. Keep warm.
Cook the green onions and basil in the olive oil until tender. Remove to a bowl.
Melt the butter in the same pan. Whisk in the flour.
Stir in the white wine and chicken stock, a little at a time until you have a smooth and creamy white sauce.
Add the Dijon mustard and stir.
Stir in the cooked onions and basil. Lay the grilled chicken breasts in the sauce, and turn to coat.
Cook the vegetables according to the package directions.
Drain the pasta. Toss the pasta with the pesto sauce.
Serve the chicken over the pasta, and drizzle the sauce over all.