Spring has definitely sprung in Melbourne – warmer temperatures of 22°C plus (we’ve been used to temperatures below 18°C for the past three or four months), northerly winds are blowing pollen all around, my eyes are itchy and hot, my nose won’t stop running, I’m sneezing continuously, I can’t stand being outside and all I want to do is nap all day as I’m totally drained . . . ahhhh, the joys of spring!
OK, it’s not all about hayfever (before you ask, all those over the counter ‘remedies’ do absolutely nothing for me!) everything is lush & green, baby animals are running around their mums, feeding and enjoying their new legs, canola fields are blooming a gorgeous blanket of yellow covering paddocks and everyone is happier due to more sunshine and the days getting longer (we now have daylight until 6-6.30pm her in Melbourne!) Oh, and there’s becoming new and more abundant fruit and vegetables to choose from – love all the food in spring!
I just love this one-pot pasta recipe. It tastes absolutely amazing and is even great as a pasta salad. I made this quite by accident. I had just made pesto at school and forgot I’d defrosted a chicken breast during the day. Hmmmm . . . pesto and chicken work well together don’t they? How about I add some pasta into the mix and see what happens.
And my one-pot wonder was born. This pasta dish is perfect as everything gets done in one saucepan so there’s no mess to clean up and when time poor, there’s nothing better than sitting down to a healthy, delicious dinner. The longest part of this dish is making your own pesto but using store bought in a jar would be fine too.
TIP 1: Select a pasta everyone loves, it would work well for all dried pasta – spaghetti, penne, shells, etc. I used San Remo Bowties – my favourite 🙂
TIP 2: Use homemade chicken stock where possible but powdered chicken stock or cubes work just as well.
PREP: 12 minutes COOK: 30 minutes SERVES: 4 as a main, 6 as a side
INGREDIENTS:
2½ cups chicken stock
1 free-range chicken breast, sliced
250 grams pasta
3 tablespoons pesto
½ cup grated parmesan
2 tablespoons sour cream
TO SERVE:
¼ cup grated parmesan
METHOD:
In a large saucepan, place the stock, chicken and pasta over medium-high heat, stirring to combine everything together.
Cover with a lid and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, remove the lid and allow to simmer for 15 minutes, gently stirring only once or twice ensuring the pasta doesn’t break.
Once the liquid has reduced and the pasta is al dente, remove from the heat and stir all ingredients to ensure they’re cooked through. Stir through the pesto, parmesan and sour cream.
Serve immediately and top with parmesan.
Please give this dish a try, you will not be disappointed. The whole family will love it, they’ll even ask for seconds. Would love to hear what you think about this one pot wonder.
Miss Food Fairy 
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