Grilled Chicken Penne with Pesto

I wanted to use the pesto that I made today, and I must say, this little creation turned out DELICIOUS. I marinated the chicken for about 3 hours then grilled it on the BBQ. It was so simple to throw together, and tasted so very yummy.

Lemon-Garlic Marinade:
⅓ c. canola oil
1 clove of garlic (chopped)
½ of a lemon (juiced)
¼ t. black pepper salt if desired

*Let chicken marinate for a few hours then grill until fully cooked.

Grilled Chicken Penne with Pesto:
Penne pasta- cooked according to directions
Mushrooms- sliced
Cherry tomatoes
Spinach
Olive oil (tiny bit for sautéing)
Lemon-garlic chicken
Homemade Pesto (see previous post)

Ok, so this isn’t really a recipe, because it just totally depends on how much of everything you want. I just sautéed the mushrooms, tomatoes, and spinach in about 1 tsp of olive oil then placed them on top of cooked pasta with the grilled chicken. Top with however much pesto you prefer (I used a couple of tablespoons for each serving)

Oh, and P.S.... you are all slackers!!!

Chicken, Mushrooms, and Tomatoes in a Lemon Garlic Sauce

Yesterday I was craving some sort of chicken pasta, so I came up with this little creation. I had all the ingredients (which hardly ever happens), and it turned out really really yummy. Jared and I both loved it, and it is pretty healthy.. for pasta. It was really easy, and pretty quick to make. I marinated the chicken for about 4 hours, then threw it all together in about 20 minutes. I never measure anything when I cook (sort of a bad habit), so I did my best to guestimate the amounts of everything, but it should be pretty close.

Lemon-Balsamic Marinade:

½ c. olive oil
¼ c. balsamic vinegar
1 T. lemon juice
1 t. lemon zest
1-2 cloves of garlic-minced
½ t. salt
½ t. lemon pepper

*Mix together and pour over 2 chicken breasts. Let marinade for 3-4 hours.

1 c. mushrooms-chopped
1 c. grape tomatoes
1 clove garlic-minced
1 package pasta of choice-cooked according to package directions
(I used whole wheat angel hair because I had it, but I would suggest
penne or farfalle because it would be easier to toss)
1 whole lemon-juiced
3 T. olive oil
2 T. fresh basil-chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Once chicken is ready, slice into bite-sized chunks and sautee for 4-5 minutes, on medium heat. Add mushrooms, garlic, and tomatoes and sautee for another 4-5 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked and mushrooms/tomatoes are tender. Add cooked pasta, olive oil, lemon juice, basil, salt and pepper, and toss together. Allow to cook on low heat for another 3-4 minutes, then serve.