Sun-dried Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Pesto 

Ingredients:

Pesto:

• 4oz sun-dried tomato 

• 1/4 cup roasted red peppers (canned or fresh)

• 2 tbsp chipotle pepper in adobo sauce 

• 1 garlic clove (peeled)

• 1/3 cup packed basil leaves (fresh leaf and stem)

•  1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 

• 1/3 cup avocado oil

• 3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese 

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Main dish:

• 16 oz Penne Pasta (dry)

•  10 oz diced Bermuda onion (one large)

• 16 oz diced cooked chicken (aprx 3 chicken breasts)

• 10 oz cooked bacon crumbles 

• 12 oz roma diced tomato 

• 12 oz chopped baby leaf spinach 

• 12 oz diced buffalo mozzarelle 

 

                                                          Equipment:

• One quart pot (boiling pasta)

• Cutting board 

• Knife 

• Tomato shark (optional)

• Colander/ strainer 

• Food processor 

• Saute pan 

• Wooden spoon

• Tongs

 

Preparation

(mise en place)

note: when doing preparation to save time you can work on more than one prep item at a time when safe to do so.  Ex. pasta and pesto could be done at the same time.

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Pasta 

Step 1:

Put water in a pot over medium heat, bring to boil.

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Step 2:

Add one oz olive oil and dry pasta to the boiling water. Stir occasionally to keep pasta from sticking together 

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Step 3

Cook until pasta is still firm when bitten (al Dante). Then drain in sink and cool with running water to stop cooking process and reserve 

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Pesto

Step 1 

Put in the food processor: basil , Parmesan cheese , garlic, and olive oil. Pulse until wet sand consistency (finely chopped). Add sun-dried tomatoes , roasted red peppers and chipotle peppers. Continue to pulse , add in the avocado oil ,and continue blending until smooth. 

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 Main Dish

Step 1

Wash tomato and then core with tomato shark or knife then cut in half across the equator to expose seeds.

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Step 2 

Using the sink rinse out the seeds, dice the tomatoes to a medium dice (1/4 inch).

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Step 3:

Peel the onion, then dice 1/4 inch by cutting the onion in half tip to tip, then slicing , turn slices and finish chopping.

 

Step 4:

 Rough chop spinach,

Dice mozzarella cheese (store separately)

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Step 5: 

Diced chicken

Can buy fully cooked diced chicken 

or

In a sauté pan cook chicken breasts til done, remove from heat and let cool. Then dice chicken to 1/4 inch pieces. 

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Finishing touches:

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Step 1:

In a hot sauté pan , add the pesto , onions, chicken, and bacon. Then begin to cook on medium high heat. Constantly stirring with a wooden spoon for approximately 1 to 2 minutes.

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Step 2:

Add cooked pasta and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add diced tomatoes and chopped spinach, constantly stirring until spinach is wilted. 

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Step 3:

Remove from heat , add in mozzarella cheese, stir to combine.

Next, plate using tongs.

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