recipe is : almost pesto pasta

this recipe is 'almost' pesto cos i've omitted the pinenuts. and it would not be pesto if there's no pinenuts or nuts of any sort will it? so i just call it 'almost pesto' for now, til i can come up with a name for it.

the herb paste on its own makes an excellent dip or dressing as well, with or without adding the cream.

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, sliced into long strips of about 3cm, season with a bit of salt and set aside to marinate for 30 mins


Herb paste -
2 handfuls basil
3/4 - 1 head garlic, skinned
1 handful coriander
50 mls (at least) olive oil

250 ml cream
1 cup sliced button mushroom
2 handfuls grated parmesan cheese
400 gms penne
sprigs of basil and coriander
salt to taste
coarse black pepper to taste (optional)


Method

in a food processor or a blender, blitz the basil, garlic, coriander and the olive oil. set aside

in a big pot, boil the penne in slightly salted water until done to preferred softness. turn off flame

in a large pan pour in a bit of oil and stir fry the chicken until just cooked. add the herb paste and stir fry for a few minutes. add the button mushroom, the cream, parmesan, basil and coriander sprigs, mix well. add a bit of the pasta water to thin out the sauce a bit. season with salt and black pepper

drain out the penne and pour into the sauce, mix well and serve hot

note: the cream can be substituted with full cream milk for a less thick sauce. it would not be too runny as the cheese will help thicken it a bit