Recipe of the Week - Penne with Almond Sauce

This week's recipe is a recipe that I saw Giada De Launrentiis make on her FoodNetwork show, Giada at Home. I decided to try it this past week and we ended up having David's parents over to try it too. I did change a couple of things and I have marked this accordingly. I really liked it, and hope you do too! 

Penne with Almond Sauce 

1 pound of penne pasta

2 cups (9 ounces) blanched, slivered almonds

2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock **I used vegetable broth 

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

2 store-bought, rotisserie chicken breasts, skinned, boned and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 cups) ** I left the chicken out to make this vegetarian

1 cup frozen petite peas ** I used broccoli instead of peas, hubby doesn't like peas. 

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 large lemon, zested

Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups grated Parmesan

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.

In a blender, combine the almonds, chicken stock, olive oil, and garlic. Blend until the mixture is smooth. Pour the mixture into a large skillet and turn the heat on to medium. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken, peas, cream and lemon zest. Cook, stirring frequently until the chicken is heated through, about 4 minutes (mixture will be thick). Season with salt and pepper, to taste

Put the cooked pasta into a serving bowl and add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan. Toss together until the pasta is coated. Add the chicken mixture, the remaining cheese and the basil. Toss the ingredients together, adding the reserved pasta water, as needed, to loosen the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.

Photo Credit: FoodNetwork

Now it's your turn! Share a recipe that you tried this past week or one of your favorites in the link up below. Please include in your post that you linked to my blog hop and try to include a Recipe of the Week button. This is not a regular blog hop. All blogs who link and have not included a recipe will be deleted from the blog hop. The hop is open until Tuesday night at 11:59pm. 

Looking forward to all the yummy recipes! 

This recipe is also linked to: Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays