Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta

We had a wonderful Chicken Pesto Pasta at my daughter's wedding reception. I wanted to make something similar at home, so I came up with this recipe. The sauce tastes better if it's had time to sit for a while, so if you have time, try making the sauce early in the day, then reheating it later to serve over freshly cooked pasta.


Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces (or fillet them yourself from bone-in breasts)
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 teaspoon garlic-pepper blend (such as Cavender's Greek Seasoning)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup chicken broth
2 Tablespoons diced roasted red pepper
1/4 cup prepared pesto
1/4 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
Enough regular or whole-wheat pasta for 4-5 servings (I used whole wheat penne)

In large skillet, cook chicken, onion and garlic-pepper seasoning until chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken and onions from pan and set them aside.

Place cornstarch in a 2-cup measure or small bowl. Whisk in a small amount of half-and-half until smooth. Add remaining half-and-half and the chicken broth. Whisk together, then pour into same pan used for chicken. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until sauce has thickened. Stir in roasted red pepper, pesto and Parmesan cheese. Continue to cook and stir until sauce reaches desired consistency.

Stir in reserved chicken and onions. Cook until chicken is heated through and no longer pink inside.

Serve chicken and sauce over pasta.