Serves 4
Both whole roasted and pureed tomatoes make up the intensely flavored tomato salsa in this dish. Don’t take the pan off the heat until the pesto clings to the pasta. If you’re not patient, your sauce will slip off of it with every bite.
2 cups shaped pasta, such as fusilli, orecchiette, or penne
¼ cup extra virgin olive, oil plus more for drizzling
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
¾ cup Roasted Cherry Tomatoes (here) with their juices
3 cups Roasted Tomato Pesto (here)
¼ cup Garlic Puree (here)
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
8 chicken tenders, cut crosswise into ½-inch pieces
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and sauté until soft and fragrant. Add the tomatoes and sauté for about a minute, using a spoon to break them up. Add 2 cups of the pesto, the garlic puree, and ¼ cup water and season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and cook until it is opaque and the sauce is reduced by half.
Add the drained pasta to the pan and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the sauce clings to the pasta and all of the liquid is absorbed. Add the remaining 1 cup pesto to the pan along with the basil and a drizzle of olive oil and toss to incorporate. Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl and scatter the feta over. Serve warm.