Creamy Pesto Chicken and Orzo

Orzo is not something that I often eat or work with in the kitchen, so when I bought a box for a specific dish and then no longer need to make that specific dish, there it sat in my pantry.

One day this summer, after a few months of looking at it every time I opened my cabinet, I decided to finally turn it into something, using ingredients I commonly keep on hand. 

The resulting dish was quite delicious (much to my relief) and I've now gone on to make it three more times. With my family's seal of approval, I'm sharing it here, in hopes that you'll give it a try and enjoy it too. 

I like to serve it with a warm piece of buttered bread or garlic bread. A side salad or your favorite vegetable (like roasted broccoli or steamed green beans) would also go nicely. 

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 8 oz uncooked orzo
• 2 TBSP butter
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 pucks of pesto (or substitute 1-2 cloves fresh, minced garlic and a handful of fresh, minced basil leaves)
• 1 quart heavy whipping cream
• 2/3 c freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 small tomato, such as roma 
• ~2 lbs boneless/skinless chicken breasts
• ~3/4 c white cooking wine
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. In a 6-qt stock pot, prepare the orzo according to package directions. 
2. Meanwhile, on a large cutting board, cut the tomato in half and using a spoon, scoop out the flesh and discard. Finely dice the remaining part and set aside until step 5.  Next, slice the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. 
3. In a large skillet, melt the butter over low-medium heat, then add the minced shallot, cook for ~2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Next, add the cut and seasoned chicken pieces to the skillet and continue cooking over medium heat for ~8 minutes, stirring every so often. Once the chicken is mostly cooked through, add the white wine and the lid to the pan, reduce heat to low-medium and cook for another 3-5 minutes, until the chicken is tender and has a nice, golden-brown color. 
4. Add the pesto (or fresh, minced garlic, if using) and stir in with the cooked chicken and shallots. 
5. While continually whisking, gradually pour in the heavy whipping cream, followed by the parmesan cheese. Whisk until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Simmer for about 8-10 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken, then stir in the diced tomato and fresh basil (if using).
6. Lastly, add the cooked and drained orzo to the skillet, stir gently to combine all ingredients and season with additional salt and pepper, as needed (I typically add ~1 tsp salt and a few cranks of pepper). Simmer a few more minutes, if needed, and enjoy!