NY FoodGasm: Lemon Pesto Chicken

Why is this a Foodgasm?

So I am already sure you know the foodgasm that is pesto. Especially fresh pesto (PS- fresh pesto is so easy to make it is criminal to buy the stuff. Seriously!). So I recently was making pesto and wanted to add my own spin to it, just a little spin by adding the zest and juice of one large lemon. Just the simple addition of lemon to pesto brightened it up and brought out some more complex flavors. It's like summer as a sauce. That is what I imagine summer would taste like: bright, light, fresh and earthy with some pep in it's step.

I learned the joy of pesto from my chef obsession Fabio Viviani. What I like to say about pesto is like he says, I can give you some measurements, but you gotta go by the how thick you want it. Also take into account the more oil, nuts and cheese you add the more fat that sauce is gonna have. The awesome thing about this recipe is that not only does the lemon add flavor but some of the liquid in this recipe is from lemon juice and that adds NO FAT! YAY!

What you need

3 Chicken Breasts, sliced thin lengthwise
1 1/2 cups Basil leaves
3 roasted garlic cloves
4 tablespoons pignoli nuts (pine nuts)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup EVOO or as needed for desired consistency.
Juice and zest of one large lemon

dash salt and pepper

How to make it

1- Place all your basil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, Parmesan cheese and pine nuts in your food processor and pulse until it is the desired consistency.
2- Add salt and pepper to taste
3- Marinate chicken in some of the pesto for a couple hours.
4- Grill the chicken a couple minutes on each side
5- Once cooked drizzle with a little more lemon pesto, because it is so delicious!

Served with simple roasted potatoes (recipe here) and once potatoes cooled I added some Lemon Pesto Love their way too!