Ayyy Pesto!

It always feels good to make something from scratch and know exactly what ingredients you're putting into your body. The leading brand of basil pesto is made with 16 ingredients, ten of which I've never heard of! Pesto is pretty easy to make from scratch but you should definitely try my little twist - it's oil free and comes with an extra spesh ingredient... who doesn't love an avocado anyway?

Too many people in the younger generation don't feel they have the time to make meals from scratch but in the time in takes to cook a chicken breast you can make my pesto, cook up some pasta and add the chicken at the end once it's done!

Ingredients:

For the pesto -
2 x garlic cloves
1 x avocado
Fresh basil
Handful of baby spinach
Handful of pine nuts
Salt & Pepper
200ml water
Splash of double cream

For the pasta -
400g pasta (serves 4)
4 x chicken breasts
Breadcrumbs
Mozzarella
Feta
Sun dried toms
Italian herbs


Start with prepping the chicken - this part is completely optional if you would rather keep the pasta as a veggie option just miss this step! Line a baking tray with foil and spritz with a low cal spray to grease. Place the chicken breasts on the tray and cover with bread crumbs, salt and pepper and mixed Italian herbs. Cover with foil and bake in the over for 20 mins at 200 degrees.

Whilst the chicken is baking, smash up an avocado, crush two garlic cloves and chuck in the blender. Add a handful of baby spinach, pine nuts and basil and season with salt and pepper. Blitz in the blender whilst gradually adding the water and the double cream.

TIP: I used a smoothie maker to start and changed over to bigger blender as the spinach and basil leaves kept getting caught so I would 100% recommend using a heavy duty food blender or food processor.

With the pesto done, pop the pasta on the hob to cook and return to the chicken. After the 20 mins initial baking time, uncover the chicken and pop back under for 10 mins to crispen up the bread crumbs.

Drain the pasta once soft and chuck in the pesto, sun-dried toms and mozzarella. Once the mozzarella is all gooey and yummy dish up with the chicken and sprinkle as much feta cheese and you like over the op and AYYY PESTO!

Keeping you all hungry,

Hannah x