Grilled Chicken with Lemon Basil Pasta

Don't you just love it when you try something very much outside of your "box" (or your whole families perhaps) and everyone ends up loving it?  That is EXACTLY what happened with this recipe.  I was kind of expecting everyone to turn their noses up at this lemony pasta, but everyone from my husband to my 4 year old absolutely loved it!  OK, maybe not my 11 year old, he didn't even try it.  Want to know what he was doing during dinner that night?

Yes, he was completely passed out.  He had a "sleep" over the night before and was a little tired.  He never even got to try the lemony pasta.  This made a huge amount and it was gone in a flash.  I didn't even get any leftovers, I think my husband and 4 year old ate them all;P

Grilled Chicken with Lemon Basil Pasta

4 whole grilled chicken breasts, sliced (I only used 3 which was plenty)- Great marinated in mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon, honey, & salt for 6-24 hrs.

1 lb.  Penne pasta cooked until al dente

4 Tbsp. butter

3 whole lemons, juiced

3/4 c. heavy cream

1/4 c. half and half

1 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

20 whole basil leaves, chopped

Cook pasta, reserving 1 c. of hot pasta water when you drain.  Set pasta aside in a colander.  

In the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat.  Squeeze in the juice of 3-4 lemons.  Whisk together.  Pour in cream and half and half.  Whisk until hot.  Pour in cheese and whisk until melted.  Add salt and pepper.  Check consistency, adding some of the hot pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed.  Add about 1/2 of the basil and mix in.  

Pour pasta and sauce into a large serving bowl.  Sprinkle remaining basil all over top, the add the sliced chicken breasts.  Serve immediately! 

Source: PW