Sundried Tomato Pesto Chicken and Veggie Pasta

After our Bavarian Babymoon traveling Germany and Austria for a week and a half, my priorities of things to look forward to when I got home were:

1. Baby girl's 24 week appointment (which was fantastic - the high risk doc switched from regular sono to 3D unexpectedly and all of a sudden there was her precious face on the screen. Every little feature right there - nose, mouth, cheeks, chin. We didn't do this with Hudson so it was such a special experience. This is another post for another time!)
2. Georgie pup cuddles
3. Our bed (and all the pillows!!)
4. A home-cooked meal (schnitzel, spatzle, bratwurst for Max, goulash, pretzels, potato salad... it was all super tasty but oh.my.lanta.)

Most of the time, nothing tastes better than something fresh from your own kitchen and this meal was exactly that.

One thing I loved about this recipe is that through my half-asleep zombie jet lag, I was able to make a protein and fiber packed meal in less than 20 minutes to fill our bellies before climbing into bed. Therefore, I know the ease of this recipe can resonate amongst other tired out travelers, those exhausted from a long day at work, or the busy parent running the household with too much to do and too little time. This meal is exhaustion-proof! Usually I make my own sundried tomato pesto but I cut corners this time with a pre-made version from the grocery store which really helped shorten the steps and time.

Grocery List:
Yields 2-3 servings

• 1 tbsp. EVOO
• 1/2 lb chicken tenders
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Garlic granules
• 2 cups asparagus spears, chopped
• 1 cup red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup sundried tomato pesto (I used this La Grande brand from Whole Foods)
• Linguine pasta noodles (or noodle of choice)
• Parmigiano reggiano, grated

In a large sauté pan, add the olive oil on medium-high heat. In a small mixing bowl, combine 1/4 of the pesto with the chicken, reserving the rest for the pasta.

In a pot, boil water and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain in a colander and set aside.

Place the chicken in the pan and cook for about 3 minutes, then flip sides and add the asparagus. Spritz the asparagus and chicken with the lemon juice. Lower the heat to medium and let cook for about 3 minutes, then add the tomatoes and season with the garlic granules. Cover and cook for 8 minutes or until tomatoes are puckered and asparagus is bright green/soft.

Transfer pasta back into a saucepan over medium-low heat and combine with the remaining pesto. As the pesto heats up, the oils will help coat the pasta for a more even consistency.

Plate the pasta, followed by scoops of the chicken and veggie combo, then finally dust with grated parmigiano reggiano and enjoy!