Pesto Pasta Salad with Chicken

The church potluck coincided with needing to harvest my basil. This recipe can be served hot, warm, room temperature, or even cold, so it makes a great picnic dish. All the fresh basil is also really refreshing on a warm summer day.

Pesto Pasta Salad

Basil Pesto:
3 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup walnuts
2 tsp fresh garlic
zest and juice of 2 limes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor until like a thick paste. Drizzle in the oil as you blend to ensure the right texture--if it's a really humid day, for example, you might need less oil.

Pesto Pasta Salad:
1 lb rotini (or elbow macaroni)
3 cups cooked chicken (see note below)
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 lb mozzarella cheese
1 batch of the basil pesto listed above

Cook the pasta in 1 gallon of salted boiling water until al dente. Cube the chicken, halve the tomatoes, and cube the mozzarella cheese so that everything is about 1 inch cubes. Mix everything together in a big bowl. Warm up if you like, or chill and serve cold. This makes a big batch of chicken salad.

*Note on the chicken: The more flavorful the chicken you start with, the better the salad will be. I made grilled chicken yesterday, and the leftovers are going in my dish. I marinaded them with lime juice and spices. Also, rotisserie chicken from the grocery store is a good choice. For very easy roasted chicken, buy bone-in, skin-on chicken breast, season with salt, pepper, and olive oil, and bake in the oven at 350 for 1 hour. This tastes amazing, and is so much better than boiling or microwaving the chicken.

*Note on Basil Pesto: My recipe listed above contains just a few unusual ingredients--Walnuts and lime juice. I use walnuts because traditional pine nuts can be expensive. I put in lime juice because I love the citrus buzz, and it keeps the basil greener longer. Pesto is absolutely delicious, so watch out--you might get addicted! Try putting it on grilled meat, or just plain pasta for a very quick side dish. It can also be spread on your sandwiches like any other condiment, and leftovers freeze really nicely. It doesn't store very well in the fridge, so use it or freeze it.

*One more quick note: This recipe contains nuts that I blend in the blender. Please make sure your guests know there are nuts in there. Allergies are nothing to sneeze at!