Pappardelle Pesto Pasta

This is one of those dishes that fell together for me an turned out so yummy! All four of us loved it and it is super quick and healthful too! Plus, I cooked it in my new kitchen (see picture), yay! This black stove isn't fun to clean but it is pretty...

Pappardelle Pesto Pasta 

*1 lb Pappardelle Pasta (I got the egg kind at TJ's) 

*3 pieces of chicken breast-chopped  

*4 small yellow squash-cut in fourths lengthwise and chopped

*2 Roma tomatoes chopped

*EVOO

*Garlic Powder, Cayenne pepper, garlic salt

*Salt and Peppa

*4 slices of bacon- chopped small

Pesto Recipe-

*2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed

*2/3 cup freshly grated Romano cheese (or Parmesan)

*1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

*1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts

*3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced

*Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 

*Couple squirts of lemon (I like half a lemon)

*2 handfuls of Spinach leaves

Start boiling the water for the pasta and cook according to the package at the lowest recommended time. Drain and put back in the pot, add the finished pesto.

Dust the chicken with S and P, EVOO, & garlic powder. BBQ or pan cook until no longer pink. You can pound them down a bit first to make them cook faster. 

Put all the ingredients for the pesto, except the EVOO in the food processor, blender, Magic Bullet, or whatever you have and blend. Then add EVOO bit by bit.  Add finshed pesto to the pasta.

Sauté the chopped bacon and yellow squash in a large pan with a tiny bit of EVOO. When the squash is getting tender, add the tomatoes and continue to stir for a couple minutes. Add a little Cayenne pepper and garlic salt. Cover for about 1 minute to soften the tomatoes. 

Serve the pasta with pesto, topped with the veggie mixture, and the then the chicken.

Enjoy!