Grilled Chicken and Pesto Farfalle

Yield: 10 servings * Overall Price: ~ $25 * Calories: 508

Ingredients:
1 3/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divivded
cooking spray
20 ounces uncooked farfalle (bow tie pasta)
1 tablespoon butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk, divivded
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 (3.5-ounce) jar commercial pesto (about 1/3 cup)
3/4 cup half-and-half
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
4 cups halved grape tomatoes (about 2 pints)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions:
1. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.
2. Sprinkle chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 10 minutes or until done, turning after 6 minutes. Remove from grill; let stand 5 minutes. Cut chicken into 1/2-inch pieces; keep warm.
3. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain in colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Place pasta in large bowl.
4. Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Combine 1/2 cup milk and flour in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add milk mixture to pan, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in pesto. Gradually add remaining 1 cup milk and half-and-half, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook 8 minute or until sauce thickens, stirring frequently. Add 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid, remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1 cup cheese; stir until cheese melts.
5. Add chicken and sauce to pasta, tossing well to coat. Add tomatoes and basil; toss gently. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Serve immediatly.

Kelsey enjoying the meal :)

Thoughts:
I thought the meal was really yummy! It was crazy to make though. I think it would be easier to make if one person cooked the chicken and another fixed the rest.
Paige thought it was great! She said that the pesto tasted great and the chicken was so moist!
Kelsey really liked that the chicken was so tender, not chewy. The sauce was amazing, and even though she normally doesn't like the baby roma tomatoes, she LOVED them in the sauce!! The bowtie pasta was also a fun variation on normal pasta noodles!