Pasta With Pumpkin Seed Pesto Food

PASTA WITH PUMPKIN SEED PESTO

Steps:

• Bring a large saucepan of generously salted water to a boil. Drop the garlic cloves into the boiling water and boil for 30 seconds to temper their sharpness. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cloves to a food processor or blender.
• Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook until al dente.
• While the pasta cooks, add the pumpkin seeds and a pinch each of salt and pepper to the garlic, and process until very finely ground. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the basil. Scoop 1/4 cup water from the saucepan with the boiling pasta and pour over the basil. Process the basil until ground to a paste. Add the Parmesan and oil, and pulse just until incorporated. Taste the pesto and season with enough salt and pepper to make it punchy.
• Drain the pasta and rinse under cool water until room temperature. Shake dry, then return to the saucepan, and add the pesto and tomatoes, if using. Stir well until everything is evenly coated. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide among dishes to serve right away or airtight containers to pack for lunch. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and Parmesan, and serve, or cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

PUMPKIN SEED PESTO PASTA WITH CHICKEN

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the kale leaves in the boiling water for 15 seconds, and them transfer them to a sieve. (Leave the boiling water on the stove to use for the pasta.) Using a spatula, press the kale leaves firmly into the sieve to release as much water as possible. Transfer the kale leaves to a blender.
• Add the toasted pumpkin seeds, Parmesan, garlic, salt and pepper to the blender and pulse briefly to combine the ingredients. With the blender running, stream in the olive oil and continue blending, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed, until the mixture is a smooth puree. Set the pesto aside.
• Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Rinse and thoroughly dry the chicken breasts. Sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper.
• Add the butter to the heated pan. Place the chicken breasts in the pan and allow them to cook until they naturally release from the pan. Flip the chicken breasts once and continue cooking until they reach 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer and are no longer pink.
• While the chicken cooks, add the linguine to the pot of boiling salted water and cook until al dente, 9 to 11 minutes.
• Drain the pasta and transfer it to a large bowl. Add the pesto to the bowl, tossing to combine. Slice the seared chicken breast and serve it alongside the pasta.