This recipe is one of my sister’s favorite things I make. It’s a straightforward simple recipe that packs a wee bit of a punch.
While pesto is traditionally made from basil and oil and a few other very Italian things, this recipe is a unique twist on pesto. This pesto uses serrano and jalepeno peppers combined with onions, oil, almonds and cheese. No basil. That’s right. It’s still a green sauce with nuts and hard cheese so we’re calling this pesto, however I’d categorize this dish as more American than Italian.
Now let’s get to the sauce. Start by removing the seeds and flesh from the insides of the peppers. I find it easiest using a spoon. Just wedge that bad boy behind the flesh and scrape it out. You don’t need to be gentle as these are going straight into a blender.
Add roughly chopped onion, almonds and oil to a blender. Blend on low for a solid minute until the sauce is smooth. Start with 1/4 cup of EVOO and add more if needed. You are looking for the consistency of smoothy you could drink with a straw.
Now that your sauce is made it’s time to cook up some chicken. You can make the sauce ahead of time if you’d like. It freezes very well and gets more spicy over time.
Blackened chicken is simple. Grab your favorite cajun or blackened chicken seasoning and coat each side of your chicken breasts with a thin layer. If your chicken breast is more than an inch think, butterfly it so you don’t have raw chicken in the center.
Grab a pot that is large enough to hold 1 pound of cooked pasta. You’ll be using this same pan to put together the final dish. I like to do this to get all the flavors from the chicken infused across the dish. Heat the pot to medium high heat and add a Tb of EVOO. When the pan is heated, add the chicken. Cook the chicken until it starts to turn white half way up the sizes. This usually takes about 4 – 5 minutes. Flip and repeat on the other side. Total cook time is usually around 8 – 10 minutes for perfectly cooked juicy chicken breast. Use a thermometer if you are not comfortable using your eyeballs for this step. Once you’re happy with the results, set aside to rest.
Time for pasta. You can use whatever pasta you like. I used some sorta soup noodles this time. You can use shells, penne, linguine… honestly just about anything works so just use something you love.
Cook your pasta 2 minutes less than al dente. You are going to cook the pasta more in the sauce. When your pasta is done cooking, make sure you reserve some of the pasta water. About 2 cups. Strain the pasta and run some cold water over it to stop the cooking. Ok. Let’s put this thing together.
Thinly slice your garlic. All of it. Add another tsp of oil to the pan you cooked the chicken in and bring that up to medium heat. Cook for about 90 seconds and then add a cup of the pesto sauce.
Add 1 ladle of pasta water to the pot and mix with the pesto and garlic. Using a wooden spoon remove all the crusty delicious bits from the bottom of the pan and incorporate into the sauce. These little bits are full of flavor and know as “fond.”
As the sauce reduces back to its original smoothie texture, add another ladle of water. I typically do this about 3 times to cook the raw onions and peppers in the sauce. It takes about 10 minutes.
Incorporate your pasta into the sauce. Add more pasta water if the sauce thickens too much. Let this cook for a couple minutes, or until the pasta is cooked to al dente. When pasta is cooked, add half of your parmesan cheese and mix it in. The cheese works as the salty element here. Taste the pasta and if it needs more salt, add it to taste.
Grab your chicken and slice it on the bias… or against the grain. Plate your pasta and top it with the chicken and garnish with the additional cheese.
Hey! Look at that. You just cooked something!
Pepper Pesto Pasta with Blackened Chicken
Ingredients
Pesto
- 6 Serrano Peppers Cored
- 5 Jalapeno Peppers Cored
- 1/4 - 1/2 Cups Olive Oil
- 6 Cloves Garlic Sliced
- 1/2 Medium Red Onion
- 1/4 Cup Almonds
The Rest
- 1 Lb Chicken Breast
- Cajun Seasoning
- 1 Lb Pasta Your Choice!
- 2 Cups Pasta Water
- 1 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Slice and core peppers. Rough chop the onion. Add peppers, onion, almonds, and 1/4 cup of olive oil to a blender or small food processor. Blend for 1 minute until smooth. Slowly add more olive oil if needed. You are looking for the consistency of smoothie you can drink with a straw. Set aside.
- Cook your pasta 2 minutes less than what al dente says on the package. Reserve 2 cups of pasta water. Strain and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking. Set aside.
- Season chicken breast with cajun seasoning. Heat large non-stick stock pot over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tb EVOO to the pan. When heated, add the chicken. If you chicken breast is more than 1" thick, butterfly it before seasoning and cooking.
- Cook for 4 - 5 minutes on one side. The chicken will start to turn white half way up the side. Flip and repeat. It should take 8 - 10 minutes to cook your chicken to 165°. Use a thermometer if you are unsure. Remove from pan and rest on a plate.
- Slice your garlic. Add a teaspoon of EVOO to the same pan. Cook for 90 seconds.
- Add 1 cup of pesto sauce to the pan along with 1 ladle of paster water. Scrap the bottom of the pan to incorporate the fond that developed when cooking the chicken. Continue to cook the sauce down to its original consistency. Repeat this process 2 more times in order to develop the flavors in the sauce.
- Add your pasta back to the pot. Add more water if needed. Stir and cook pasta to al dente. Add half of your cheese to the pot and incorporate. Taste the pasta and add more salt if needed.
- Slice your chicken against the grain. Serve your pasta and top with chicken and the remaining cheese.