Comfort Food and Wine Pairing - Lemon Basil Chicken Pasta with Sancerre

COMFORT:

a state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint

COMFORT FOOD:

food that provides consolation or a feeling of well-being

I can't think of a better comfort food than pasta paired with some vino. I think after the stresses of 2020, we're going to need ALL of that.

My typical comfort food pasta includes a hearty red sauce paired with a lovely red wine like Chianti or Barolo, but recently, I lightened it up a bit with this lemon basil chicken pasta paired with Sancerre.

 Check out the full recipe below if you're needing some comfort food this week:

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts

Basil Pesto (I am typically lazy and use store bought :) )

1 package Cherry Tomatoes

Olive Oil

Fresh Basil

1/2 Lemon

1 package Linguine noodles

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 and place chicken breasts in oven-safe dish. Drizzle with olive oil and use spoonful of basil pesto to cover each breast. Squeeze out lemon juice over three breasts and bake until chicken is cooked through.

• While chicken is cooking, heat olive oil in skillet. Once heated, add in the cherry tomatoes. Cover and let cook until they burst and start to soften.

• Make pasta in separate pot (can use any type of noodles, I prefer linguine) and combine with roasted tomatoes. Cut chicken breasts once cooked and add to pasta mixture. Top with fresh basil and parmesan, pour a glass of Sancerre and enjoy!

Wine Pairing notes:

White wines are the perfect pairing for lighter pasta dishes with chicken. By opting for a lighter wine instead of a bold red, you avoid overpowering the lighter flavors of this dish. Sancerre has a freshness and minerality to it that complements the flavor of the basil and the wine's acidity mirrors that of the acidity from the lemon and tomatoes for a delicious and smooth finish.