Spaghetti with Chicken and Basil / Walnut Pesto Sauce

I really like fresh made pesto sauce. I've made a similar recipe without the chicken breast previously  and you can find the recipe on the blog. This time I found that there's a big difference in taste when using pine nuts verse other nuts such as walnuts. The pine nut adds bright and almost spicy taste and the walnut a rich, creamy and earthy taste. Overall, I prefer walnuts and will make that again in the future.

Ingredients:

1 pound Barilla spaghetti

1 chicken breast poached and diced

1 package fresh basil from Trader Joe's

4 garlic cloves

1/8 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the package. Barilla is my favorite pasta and their spaghetti cooks to perfect al dente in 12-13 minutes.

 

Remove the larger stems from the basil leaves and pack into the food processer. Add the garlic, walnuts and olive oil. Process until the smooth. If the pesto mixture is too thick add some more olive oil. When done set a side while the pasta cooks.

 

When your spaghetti is done, drain and put the spaghetti into a 12" sauté pan. Turn the heat on medium, add the diced chicken breast and then add 3/4's of the pesto and mix well. The pesto should be completely incorporated into the spaghetti. At this point you may want to add more pesto if needed. When the spaghetti, chicken and sauce heated, add 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, mix well and you're done. Place a portion of pesto spaghetti on a plate and top  with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, a few chopped walnut pieces and a grind of black pepper.