Chicken Fettuccine with Pesto Cream Sauce

It had been a little while since I made this, and I had forgotten how delish it is. Chris LOVED it. Kids didn't. Can't win em all.

Chicken Fettuccine with Pesto Cream Sauce

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
s and p
1 T. olive oil
1/2 lb. fettuccine
1/2 C. pesto (4 frozen cubes)
1/3 C. heavy cream

Between 2 pieces of plastic wrap, pound chicken into an even 3/4 inch thickness. Season with s and p. Heat oil on medium in large nonstick skillet. Cook chicken til golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Slice chicken into strips, cover to keep warm. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to pkg. directions. Reserve 1/4 C. cooking water. Drain pasta and return to pot. In small saucepan, heat pesto over low til liquefied. Stir in cream, heat til warm. Toss pasta with reserved cooking water and 1/2 the sauce. Divide among shallow bowls, top with chicken. Drizzle with remaining sauce. Serves 4.

Basil Pesto:
1 C. pine nuts
8 C. lightly packed fresh basil leaves (4 oz.)
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2/3 C. extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350. Spread nuts on a baking sheet. Toast in oven til golden and fragrant, tossing once, 8 minutes. Let cool completely. Meanwhile, bring 4 C. salted water to a boil. Add basil, submerge with spoon. Immediately drain in colander. Rinse with cold water til cool, then pat dry in paper towels. In food processor, combine nuts, basil and garlic; season generously with s and p. Process until nuts are finely chopped. With machine running, pour oil in steady stream through the feed tube; process til smooth. Use immediately, or freeze. To freeze, spoon pesto into an ice-cube tray (2 T. per cube); cover with plastic wrap. Freeze overnight, then transfer cubes to a re-sealable freezer bag; keep up to 6 months. Defrost pesto at room temp for about 20 min, or at 30 second intervals in micro.