Pesto Chicken Pasta

Chicken:

4-5 chicken breasts

1/2 C flour

1/8 t salt

dash pepper

3 T olive oil

Sauce: 

1 (6.25 ounce) jar pesto (just a bit less than 1 cup)

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 C milk

1 C chicken broth

1/2 t sugar

1 T butter

Pasta:

1/2 (16 ounce) box bowtie, penne or corkscrew pasta

1. Cut your chicken breasts into 3 inch chunks and set them aside. 

2. Toss 1/2 cup flour, 1/8 teaspoon of salt and a dash of pepper into a loaf pan. 

3. Heat a large skillet up over medium high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and let it get hot. 

4. Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour and then carefully place them in the hot pan. Turn the heat down to medium low.  Let the chicken get nice and golden brown on the bottom. Then turn them over and let them get golden brown on the other side. When the chicken has cooked through remove from the pan and onto a clean plate. Cover the plate with tin foil and set it aside.

5. While your chicken is cooking, boil some water and cook the pasta according to package instructions.  

6. Pour 1 cup of chicken broth and 1 cup of milk (I used 1 %) into the hot pan you used to cook the chicken. Use a whisk to break up the crispy chicken leftovers in the bottom of your pan. 

7. Add just a bit less than 1 cup of pesto, and one block of softened cream cheese. Give it a nice stir. The cream cheese will start to melt down and incorporate into the sauce. Don't worry if it is chunky at first. 

8. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat, whisking it occasionally. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes, or until it thickens up a bit. 

9. Remove the pan from the heat and add 1/2 teaspoon sugar and 1 T butter. If your sauce is too thick, add a bit more milk to thin it out. 

10. Serve immediately over hot pasta. The sauce with continue to thicken as it cools, so it's best to eat it soon after you make it. 

recipe from Jamie Cooks it up.