I have spent years working on recreating this dish, and finally have it perfected. This is exactly as I remember it tasting! (Someday I will have to go back to Stockholm and test my theory!)
Pesto Chicken Penne Pasta Recipe
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, sauteed in olive oil, with salt & pepper
1 pound penne pasta, cooked al dente
1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water
2 cups fresh basil
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts, divided
1 garlic clove
salt & pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup (or so) extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
Directions:
Cook the chicken, set aside. Cook the pasta, drain and set aside (reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water).
In your food processor, place the basil, 1/4 cup of the toasted pine nuts, garlic clove and salt & pepper and red pepper flakes. Pulse until everything is finely chopped. Turn the food processor on, and slowly stream in the olive oil until you have a smooth, creamy consistency. Dump the pesto into a large bowl, stir in the parmesan cheese and taste to see if you need any more salt and pepper.
Dump the penne and the chicken into the bowl with the pesto in it, and stir to combine well. Add pasta water, a little at a time (you may not need all of it!), until the sauce has coated all the noodles and chicken. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts and serve!
