Pesto is a great way to use and store random greens, and tops. Another thing I usually have in my freezer to preserve that bright green flavor, and to add to dishes or use just on its own with some pasta for a quick lunch. I have made it with radish tops here, but have also used carrot tops, spinach, kale or any green to add in with the basil.
Preheat oven to 350 – these little cutlets only take about 15 minutes to cook.
Homemade pesto, a chicken breast cutlet and some mozzarella, with just a simple tomato and balsamic salad.
Put some olive oil into a ramekin large enough to nestle the chicken breast cutlet into. Just enough to cover the bottom. Add a layer of pesto to the ramekin. Top with the chicken breast cutlet. Spoon more pesto over the top.
Using the back of your spoon level off the remaining pesto and top with olive oil. Any pesto not covered in oil will get black and go bad. The oil keep the greens from oxidizing.
Seal the ramekin tightly with foil. I do more of a candy wrap with the foil, where it is tightly sealed but has little twisted handles to make removing and checking on dish easier.
Measure 2 ounces of angel hair pasta. I know, angel hair is so ’80’s but I use it because it cooks very quickly – not only does that get meals on the table faster if I’m in a rush, it also softens into the pan almost instantly and you don’t have to either boil a huge pot of water to fit it all in at once or have unevenly cooked pasta from one half not getting in the water at the some time as the other end.
Bring a small – 1 quart – pot of salted water to the boil.
Add in the angel hair and curl into the pan.
Remove the foil from the chicken.
Top with an ounce of shredded mozzarella.Pop back into the oven uncovered to melt the cheese. The ramekin will be hot.
Remove the chicken to a plate with tongs. Leaving the pesto in the ramekin.
Pull the angel hair from the water into the ramekin. The pasta water on the pasta will thin the pesto and help it cling to the pasta. Mix the pasta around in the ramekin coating it with the pesto.
Grate a little fresh parm over the pasta. The cheese mellows the pesto perfectly.
Slice a roma tomato and top with some balsamic glaze.
I have always cooked, I was that person who could make a meal from an empty fridge. I have lived alone and with large and small families, I have cooked for camps on wood stoves, and in professional kitchens. I have lived and worked all over the west from Montana, to Seattle to Arizona to San Diego. I have traveled, maybe not 'all over the world', yet, and have collected tastes recipes and techniques everywhere, and every one I meet.
