Recipe - Pasta Shells With Chicken And Pesto

24 Conchiglie shells
Allow 4 large shells per
person
4 tablespoon Pesto sauce; (use commercial
; preparation or make
; from the following)
2 Chicken breasts; skin
removed
1 lg Sprig fresh thyme
8 Peppercorns
1 Pinches salt
100 ml Dry white wine
250 ml Cream
2 tablespoon Finely chopped parsley
75 g Pine nuts; toasted
Salt and ground pepper to
taste

PESTO
120 g Or 1 bunch basil; leaves
picked and
; washed
3 Cloves garlic; peeled
75 g Pine nuts
100 g Freshly grated parmesan
cheese
250 ml Olive oil
Freshly ground pepper
And salt to taste

Place the breasts in a saucepan with the thyme, salt and peppercorns and
cover with cold water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for approximately
15 minutes. (This can be done the day before).

Cook the conchiglie in a large pot of boiling salted water, with a little
olive oil keeping them separated as they cook, approximately 15 minutes.

Drain and refresh in cold water.

Drain the chicken, and reduce the liquid (stock) to approximately 100ml.

Chop breasts finely or mince.

Place the wine in a saucepan and reduce by half. Add cream, reduce stock
and 2 tbsp pesto sauce. Bring to boil and simmer until a smooth texture is
achieved. (It should coat the back of a spoon). Taste and adjust seasoning.
Bind the chicken flesh with remaining pesto mixture and half the pine nuts.
Spoon carefully into the shells, laying them in a buttered baking tray.
Pour over remaining sauce, cover with buttered foil and bake at 180c for 20
minutes. Remove foil and cook at the top of the oven for a further 10
minutes, or until slightly browned.

Sprinkle with extra pine nuts and parsley and serve.

PESTO:

Grind, pound or blend the basil, garlic and pine nuts with a pinch of salt
and a grind of ground pepper.

Mix in the cheese.

Add the olive oil a little at a time mixing well with each addition so the
sauce binds together (for a thicker sauce add less oil).

Check for seasoning and adjust.

"I play around with the quantities depending on what I'm using this for
sometimes garlickly sometimes cheesier and sometimes runny", says
Felicity Fraser.

Converted by MC_Buster.

Per serving: 779 Calories (kcal); 72g Total Fat; (83% calories from fat);
28g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 102mg Cholesterol; 169mg Sodium Food
Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 3 One half Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 12 Fat;
0 Other Carbohydrates

Converted by MM_Buster v2.0n.