Recipe: Perfect Cilantro Pesto Pasta with Grilled Chicken

Cilantro Pesto Pasta with Grilled Chicken.

You can have Cilantro Pesto Pasta with Grilled Chicken using 12 ingredients and 9 steps. Here is how you achieve that.

Ingredients of Cilantro Pesto Pasta with Grilled Chicken

1. You need of Cilantro Pesto.
2. It's 2 cup of cilantro leaves.
3. Prepare 1/2 cup of olive oil.
4. It's 3 clove of garlic, minced.
5. You need 1/4 cup of pine nuts, toasted.
6. You need 1/4 cup of romano (or parmesan) cheese, grated.
7. You need 1/2 tsp of salt & pepper.
8. You need 1 tsp of lime zest.
9. It's 1 tbsp of lime juice.
10. You need 1 lb of mini farfalle (bow tie) pasta.
11. Prepare 4 of -6 chicken breasts.
12. Prepare 1 envelope of McCormick lime mojito marinade (Thanks Ray Ray, now I'm hooked! lol).

Cilantro Pesto Pasta with Grilled Chicken step by step

1. Mix McCormick marinade according to package directions and marinate chicken for 15-30 minutes..
2. Grill chicken on the grill outdoors or indoors on a stove top cast iron grill pan..
3. Let chicken rest for 5 to 6 minutes then cut chicken breasts into bite size pieces. Set aside..
4. Toast pine nuts in a non stick dry skillet over medium high heat until slighty toasted and golden brown stirring constantly..
5. To a blender or a food processor add all ingredients for pesto except olive oil..
6. Slowly drizzle in olive oil from the top of the blender on low speed to form a thick sauce. Set aside..
7. Cook pasta according to package directions, rinse and set aside..
8. Add pasta back to pasta pot. Mix in pesto and stir to combine thoroughly over low heat to warm. Add 3 cut up chicken breasts to pasta and pesto stirring again to incorporate well..
9. Use remaining cut up chicken breasts to garnish on top of the pasta. Can top with freshly grated romano or parmesan cheese and fresh cilantro leaves if desired..