This year I followed the advice of a garden expert on Instagram and intensely planted my raised beds. Lo and behold, she was totally right. Instead of one or two basil plants, I did 6. I put greens and radishes in between peppers and tomatoes. I put beets closer together than the plant card recommended. And as promised, I’m getting SO much more from my garden and my weeding duties are practically non-existent. I’m harvesting so much basil that using several handfuls as a time isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity.

Enter this pasta – I make a quick pesto, boil some noodles, cook up some chicken and add tomatoes. Soon I’ll be harvesting those from the garden too.

I made it this week on Minnesota Live and I think you’ll love it just as much as producer Jane did.

Pesto Pasta with Chicken & Tomatoes

Gather this:

2 cups fresh basil leaves

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic

2 tbsp toasted pine nuts

2 cups finely and freshly grated parmesan cheese (not packed, should be light and fluffy)

1 lb chicken breasts

1 tbsp bacon fat

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

1 lb short pasta (such as fusilli or cavatappi)

Do this:

In a large skillet, heat the bacon fat over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper or your favorite seasoning blend. Add the chicken to the pan and let sit for 3-5 minutes, flipping when golden brown. Remove from the pan when it’s cooked through, depending on the thickness of the chicken. Set aside to rest.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and cook pasta according to package instructions, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water before draining.

Add the basil, pine nuts and garlic to a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped and then add the olive oil and pulse again. Pour into a bowl with the grated cheese and fold together.

Add the tomatoes to the skillet and about 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the pasta, chicken and the pesto – stir together gently. if the pasta seems at all dry, add the rest of the pasta water. Serve with more cheese on top and red pepper flakes if desired!