Pasta with Sundried Tomato Pesto and Chicken

This is tonight’s dinner which was requested by the men of the house. This is one of my favorite pasta dishes to eat and it is always one of my top “go to” recipes when I am busy and need something quick and easy to make. As time goes on you will come to realize that I love pasta.

Don’t fear carbs ladies. Nutritionists recommend that 55–60 percent of calories come from carbohydrates, and especially complex carbohydrates. That is the key. Focus on complex carbs and omit the simple carbs! I eat pasta and carbs in general all of the time and I have yet to gain any weight. I am 30 years old and can still wear my clothes from high school. Anyways, onto the recipe!

Ingredients

1 box of whole wheat pasta (rotini or penne work well)
1 jar of Classico sundried tomato pesto (you can use any brand but Classico is my favorite and is pretty cheap at around $1.98 a jar at Walmart)
3-4 chicken breasts cooked and cubed
1 can of mushrooms
1 (6) ounce bag washed baby spinach
1 can of diced italian seasoned tomatoes or fire roasted tomatoes
1 clove of garlic
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 onion diced
salt and pepper to taste
grated Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top

1. In a pan sautee’ cook the chicken breast till done. Remove from heat and cut into bite size pieces
2. In the same pan add 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar onions and garlic. Sautee’ for 3 minutes then add the baby spinach and cook until it is just wilted.
2. While the stuff above is cooking, cook the whole wheat pasta per directions on the box and drain. Do not rinse the pasta.
3. In the pasta pot combine the drained pasta, cubed chicken, baby spinach, pesto, drained canned tomatoes and mushrooms.
4. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and serve

Tips for Perfect Pasta

Don’t skimp on the water! Use a large enough pot to boil four quarts of water per pound of pasta.
Adding a pinch of salt will help the water boil faster and flavor the pasta.
Once the water has reached a boil, lower heat slightly to create a rolling boil.
There is no need to add any oil to the water to prevent the pasta from sticking. If you use the proper amount of water and keep the temperature at a rolling boil and stir a few times, the pasta will not stick. Using oil will actually cause any sauce to NOT stick to the pasta.
Follow directions included on the package for the type of pasta you are preparing to ensure the correct cooking time. Pasta should be cooked ‘al dente’ or ‘to the tooth’ meaning that the pasta should be firm but not hard. It should have a bite and not be soggy.
DO NOT RINSE YOUR PASTA! Washing pasta after it has drained will remove all of the vitamins and starches that help the sauce adhere to the pasta