Pesto Marsala Style Food

PESTO - MARCELLA HAZAN

Steps:

• Briefly soak and wash the basil in cold water, and gently pat it thoroughly DRY with paper towels.
• Put the basil, olive oil, pine nuts, chopped garlic, and an ample pinch of salt in the processor bowl, and process to a uniform, creamy consistency.
• Transfer to a bowl, and mix in the two grated cheeses by hand. It is worth the slight effort to do it by hand to obtain the notably superior texture it produces.
• When the cheese has been evenly amalgamated with the other ingredients, mix in the softened butter, distributing it uniformly into the sauce.
• When spooning the pesto over pasta, dilute it slightly with a tablespoon or two of the hot water in which the pasta was cooked.
• Freezing pesto: Make the sauce through to the end of Step 2, cover with a layer of olive oil and freeze it without cheese and butter in it. Add the cheese and butter when it is thawed, just before serving.

FUSILLI WITH SPINACH-NUT PESTO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs; drain and return to the pot.
• Meanwhile, make the pesto: Pulse the nuts and garlic in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Add the spinach in batches, pulsing until chopped. Add the lemon zest and juice. With the motor running, add the olive oil in a steady stream; process until smooth, 1 minute. Add 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste.
• Add the pesto and tomatoes to the pot with the pasta, season with salt and pepper and toss. Divide among bowls; drizzle with olive oil and top with chopped nuts.

THE BEST CHICKEN MARSALA

Steps:

• Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Cut two 12-inch sheets of plastic wrap.
• Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise, making 6 roughly equal pieces; they should look like large chicken tenders. Place one sheet of plastic on a clean cutting board. Put a chicken piece in the center of the plastic and top with the other sheet of plastic. Pound the chicken with the flat side of a meat mallet, starting in the center and working your way to the edges, until the chicken is 1/4 inch thick and 6 to 8 inches long. Transfer to the wire rack. Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces. Liberally sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.
• Mix the flour with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a generous amount of pepper in a shallow bowl or plate. Dredge the cutlets in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess. Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, about 1 minute. Sear 3 cutlets until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the cutlets to a plate. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and sear the remaining 3 cutlets until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. It's ok if the chicken is not completely cooked through; it will finish cooking in the sauce.
• Add the mushrooms and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the same pan and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits, until the mushrooms are slightly softened and just beginning to release some liquid, 3 to 4 minutes. (The mushrooms will soak up the oil quickly and dry up the pan; that's ok, more liquid will release as they cook longer.) Add the shallots and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits, until starting to soften, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat. Pour in the wine and 1/2 cup water. Return the pan to high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the liquid reduces by a third and starts to thicken, 6 to 7 minutes. Whisk in the butter and continue whisking until it is melted and the sauce has thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add the cutlets and any accumulated juices to the pan and cook, flipping halfway through, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened, about 2 minutes.
• Remove the chicken to a platter and stir the parsley into the sauce. Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with more parsley.

SKILLET CHICKEN MARSALA

Steps:

• Flatten each chicken breast half to 1/4-inch thickness by gently pounding between sheets of plastic wrap or waxed paper. Mix four, salt and pepper. Coat chicken with flour mixture; shake off excess flour.
• Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook garlic and parsley in oil for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add chicken to skillet. Cook, turning once, until brown.
• Add mushrooms and wine.
• Cook 8 to 10 minutes, turning chicken once, until chicken is no longer pink in center.

ONE-POT CHICKEN PESTO PASTA

Steps:

• Toss chicken with seasoning blend. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and brown evenly; remove from pan., In same pan, combine broth and lemon juice; bring to a boil, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Stir in pasta; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 10 minutes., Add broccoli; cook, covered, 5 minutes. Return chicken to pan; cook, covered, until pasta is tender and chicken is no longer pink, 2-3 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Add peas; heat through. Stir in pesto.