Pesto, Cherry Tomato & Chicken Penne Salad

With summer just around the corner, let's make this Pesto, Cherry Tomato & Chicken Penne Salad that will accompany your barbecue quite nicely.

It is a very easy recipe to make, and will be whipped up in less than 30 minutes. Just remember that the penne have to rest in the fridge for 45 minutes.

The following ingredients are for 2 to 4 portions, so feel free to adjust your quantities if you are cooking for more or less people, or according to your taste.

You will need:

• 125 grams of mini-penne pasta*
• 210 grams of chicken breast tenders, or chicken breast wholes.
• 15 to 20 cherry tomatoes
• 1 1/4 tablespoons of basil (fresh basil is better, but dry basil works too)
• 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese
• 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 7 to 8 minutes

Resting time: At least 45 minutes in the fridge

Start by cooking your pasta per the package's instructions (in my case, it was 7 to 8 minutes for al-dente pasta).

In a pan, pour a bit of olive oil, heat up your pan, and place the chicken breast tenders to cook.

Once one side is cooked, turn the breast to cook the other side.

Turn one more time until you get a nice brown coating.

Let the pieces cool down few minutes, and then cut them into pieces.

Cut the cherry tomatoes in half ...

... and if it bothers you like it bothers me, remove the core of the tomatoes.

Prepare your pesto.
In a bowl, mix the basil and the parmesan cheese.

Then add the olive oil and give it a good mix.

By that time, the mini-penne should be cooked.
Strain the pasta into a strainer, and then pour some cold water on it to cool it down.



All your ingredients are now ready to be stored in the fridge, giving at least 45 minutes for your mine-penne to cool down.

It is now time to assemble your salad ...

... which will be only four simple steps.

First, pour your mini-penne in the salad bowl.

Second, add the cherry tomatoes.

Third, add your chicken pieces.

And finally, after giving your pesto a good stir, add it the the salad, and mix. (If you like your pesto a bit thinner, add another tablespoon of olive oil).

And voilà, your Pesto, Cherry Tomato & Chicken Penne Salad is ready.

Now it is time to fire up that barbecue, and enjoy!

*Note: I used mini-penne, because I think it is more pleasant to eat the mini version of the penne with this salad, but feel free to use some other pasta such as elbow macaroni, penne, or bow-tie.

As with all the other recipes we put on this site, this is meant to be easy to follow. We are hobby chefs who love to cook, and we are always up for learning new techniques. If you know of anything in this recipe which can be done a different way, whether for increased ease of preparation or better taste, please add a comment below!

Whipped up by Charline Leblond

Mushroom and Prosciutto Pasta

This is a lovely pasta dish that I discovered while watching some TV show, and it wasn't a cooking program. I don't remember the name or the context, but some guy was waiting for some girl to come home and he was trying to say sorry for a fight or something.

I have no clue. It was just something I came across while flicking channels.

What caught my attention (and I secretly hope it caught her attention too) was the pasta dish that he placed on the well laid table when she entered the door. I immediately put down the remote and tried to make out what was on that plate of penne and penitence, despite the director's inconsideration for the hungry few viewers out there.

From what I could make out, there were mushrooms and what might have been prosciutto, and a creamy sauce. I may not have known what they had been fighting about, I may never know whether they made up or not, but I knew at that moment I needed to eat that pasta dish. Penne, Mushrooms, Prosciutto and cream ...

This is an extremely easy and delicious pasta to make. For two people you will need:

• 3-4 medium brown mushrooms*
• About two strips of prosciutto*
• Three tablespoons of Crème Fraîche
• One clove of garlic
• A tablespoon of butter
• Some grated parmesan
• Penne or other small pasta

Start by preparing your pasta, the sauce takes far less time than boiling pasta. Set the water to boil, then begin slicing up your mushrooms. Don't make them too thin, or they will just become floppy.

Next, chop up your garlic. If you are using garlic powder, you will need about one teaspoon.

Once your water is boiling, toss your pasta in the pot. It should take 8-10 minutes, which is perfect time to make the sauce and have everything ready at the same moment.

To start the sauce, add your butter to a hot pan.

Add your garlic to the butter and let it roast for a few minutes, then add your mushrooms and toss them around so that they are well coated in butter and garlic. Let them cook for about five minutes, undisturbed.

 While the mushrooms are cooking, you can cut your prosciutto. Basically, we want it to be small and easy to bite into without having to cut or tear pieces on the plate. Sometimes I just roll up my prosciutto and go at it with a pair of scissors, but a knife and cutting board works just as well.

Once your mushrooms are tender, we are going to wrap up the sauce very quickly. We don't want the prosciutto to overcook, so just before your pasta is done (taste it and it should be quite firm in the center by soft on the outside, signifying another one to two minutes of cooking), add the prosciutto to the mushrooms and get them nicely mixed around.

Finally, add the crème frâiche and a teaspoon of grated parmesan, and mix everything well. Let the mushrooms and prosciutto sit in the  crème frâiche for a few minutes while you drain your pasta. Make sure your pasta is well drained, and then add it directly to the pan with the sauce and mix everything together. You can add some salt and papper to taste if you  like, but be careful with the salt. Taste first ... the prosciutto is going to contribute quite a lot to the saltiness of the dish already.

Finally, plate and serve with some freshly grated parmesan. Good to go!

See, I was really not exaggerating about how easy it is; the most difficult part is cutting prosciutto. And it takes as long to make the sauce as it take you to cook the pasta. What more could you ask for?

*Tip: Don't throw away your unused mushrooms or prosciutto, refer to our "Let's not waste anything!" page, and check out few ideas on how to use them.

As with all the other recipes we put on this site, this is meant to be easy to follow. We are hobby chefs who love to cook, and we are always up for learning new techniques. If you know of anything in this recipe which can be done a different way, whether for increased ease of preparation or better taste, please add a comment below!

Whipped up by Shyamal Addanki