Pasta with Pesto Sauce, Grilled Chicken Legs and Mushrooms

How to prepare pasta with pesto sauce, grilled chicken legs and mushrooms

1. Prepare the chicken legs following the instructions here. Remove to a plate and keep covered with foil until serving.
2. Wipe the mushrooms with a damp towel, then slice them lengthwise. Place them on the grill pan that's already hot and oiled from the chicken legs prepared before. Grill for about 2 minutes per side (until they get light grill marks). Remove to a plate, season with salt and pepper to taste, and if they seem dry add 1/2 teaspoon of oil. Toss and cover them with aluminum foil until serving.
3. Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water according to package instructions.
4. When the pasta is almost cooked, start preparing the sauce: melt the butter in a small saucepan and when hot, add the flour. Stir until the flour absorbs the butter and you have a thick paste. Then add the cream in a thin stream, whisking continuously. Cook the sauce for 1-2 minutes after adding all the cream. You'll get a creamy sauce. Remove the saucepan from heat and add the pesto. Mix until smooth and adjust salt to taste.
6. Drain the pasta (save 1/2 cup of the cooking water). Place in a bowl and pour the pesto sauce over. Toss. If needed (the sauce has cooled a bit or isn't very fluid), add some of the reserved water until the sauce is fluid and coats the pasta.
7. Arrange the pasta on plates. Top each with a grilled boneless chicken leg, then cover the chicken with the grilled mushrooms. Garnish with basil leaves.

Print