Italian Chicken & Pesto Pasta (Gluten-Free)

This has been a crazy week, and there hasn't been much time for creativity in the kitchen. I needed a quick and easy but comforting dinner to help me and that wonderful hubby of mine unwind tonight. We love this because it's a quick and easy dinner, and is a fantastic alternative to take out. Oh, and it is pretty healthy too! Throw in a delicious green dinner salad & enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken strips or 2 boneless-skinless chicken breasts cut into strips
Italian breadcrumbs (I used Gluten-Free bread crumbs, recipe below)
1 package pasta, prepared according to directions (I used brown rice spaghetti)
1/2 cup pesto (I used Basil Pesto from Whole Foods)
Sea salt, black pepper, garlic, parmesan cheese
Olive oil


Directions:
Cook your pasta according to the package directions. Cover the bottom of a skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat. Pour breadcrumbs in a shallow dish and dredge chicken into bread crumbs being sure to shake off the excess crumbs. Brown strips on each side until golden brown, approximately 10 minutes total cooking time.


Drain pasta and return to pan. Toss pasta with 1/2 cup pesto, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and add sea salt & pepper to taste, depending on the saltiness of your pesto. Plate pasta and add strips on top, sprinkling with parmesan cheese.

GLUTEN-FREE ITALIAN BREAD CRUMBS
INGREDIENTS:
10-12 slices gluten-free brown rice bread
garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, black pepper, parsley flakes, Italian seasoning

Place bread on a cookie sheet in a preheated 200 degree oven. After one hour, turn bread over and bake for an additional hour. If bread still feels soft, repeat the process. When bread is dried out, place in food processer and reduce to crumbs. Add in 3/4 teaspoon of garlic and onion powder, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning and dried parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and sea salt. Mix together and place in a airtight container.