Pesto White Wine Chicken

In mid-May, my husband and I visited the Italian Kitchen, a wonderful restaurant in Spokane. He ordered their Tuscan Chicken, a delicious dish with a white wine pesto. I tried a bite and loved it! The next day, I looked online to find a recipe that would be similar to the delicious dinner he had the night before. I found a recipe for Pesto White Wine Chicken, which is listed below.

Last weekend, I took a friend with me to the Arbor Crest Winery in Spokane. It was a beautiful summer day and appeared that many others had the same idea to sneak up to the winery! I highly recommend a stop at Arbor Crest on your next trip through Spokane. The vineyard is located at the top of a hill with a beautiful view of all of Spokane and into Idaho. The Winery has many bistro tables outside as an invitation for guests to buy a bottle and settle in. Feel free to bring up a picnic lunch or just your favorite variety of cheeses to devour with your wine. As a special treat, Arbor Crest's 2006 Sauvignon Blanc was specially priced at $5, down from its normal $12, as they were trying to clear it out to make room for new wine. I love the crisp fruity notes in this wine, and its exceptionally clean finish. In fact, I bought a case! Get there quickly though--it was going fast! I used this wine in the Pesto White Wine Chicken.

Pesto White Wine Chicken

Pesto:
2 cups fresh basil
3 cloves of garlic
1/3 c. fresh grated parmesan
1/4 c. olive oil

Marinade:
1/4 c. chicken broth
1 c. white wine
2 Tbsp. dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into strips

16 oz pasta (linguine or angel hair)
4 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1/2 large white onion, diced
1 Tbsp. white sugar
8 ounces sun dried tomatoes (previously packed in oil), drained
8 ounces canned artichoke hearts, drained
1/3 c. pine nuts, toasted
1/2 c. white wine
1 c. heavy cream
salt
pepper

1. Place all of the marinade ingredients into a bag. Set aside while you prepare other items.
2. Put basil, garlic, and parmesan cheese into a food processor or blender. Gradually add oil until blended and smooth. If pesto is not getting smooth, slowly add more oil. You can also add a small amount of water if needed.
3. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add some salt to the water. Add pasta and cook just until done, as listed on the box. Remove from heat and rinse with cold water to stop cooking process. Toss with 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.
4. Heat 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in onions and sprinkle with sugar. Cook until onions are soft and translucent. Stir in sun dried tomatoes and pine nuts. Cook 4-5 minutes longer. Add artichokes and cook 2 more minutes.
5. Stir in chicken and all of marinade. Add another 1/2 c. of white wine. Simmer 10-12 minutes longer, stirring as needed.
6. Add pesto to the pan. Stir in cream and cook until sauce thickens. If sauce isn't thickening, you can add flour 1 Tbsp at a time to help thicken it.
7. Once sauce thickens to your liking, add pasta. Salt and pepper to taste. Continue cooking until pasta is heated thoroughly.
8. Top with freshly grated parmesan and serve.

Notes: You can also sub in fat free half and half to reduce the fat in this recipe significantly. Sun dried tomatoes can be extremely expensive. At one store, it was over $4 for a 8 ounce jar. Costco had a 32 ounce jar for around $8. Pine nuts can also be very pricey! If you live near a Winco, the bulk section is the way to go- only buy what you will need at a very reasonable price!