Glammed-up Pesto

When pesto gets a little boring...

I love love pesto. It's easy to make. It's a healthier alternative that cream sauce (i think.) You can use it as a pizza sauce or dip bread in it.  If you need a quick dinner, just toss it with some angel hair and you're good to go. But it's something that may get a little boring through time.  Sometimes you want more out of it just so to make it a little more exciting.

I was inspired by the recipe at the back of my store-brought pesto pouch. (Guilty, but only because my blender has given up on my and I haven't got a time to buy a new one yet.)  It's got tuna, olives and garlic sauteed together and sprinkled with some chili flakes. Now that is already good but my penchant for tuna is quite unreliable. But i found 1 more thing that could kick things up a notch: coriander seeds! I know! But trust me, it's gonna be good. It brings a little sweetness and a hint of freshness to to dish.

As for me, I made this version because i realized that I still have a lot of coriander seeds in my pantry and haven't really gotten the time to figure out what to do with them so I might as well start with this recipe.

Serves 2
Ingredients: 
1/2 cup prepared pesto (store-bought or home-made)
1 tbsp olive oil (or oil from your pesto)
2 cups cooked angel hair or spaghetti
1/3 cup shredded rotisserie chicken (you can also use shrimps or canned tuna)
2-3 tbsp chopped olives
6-8 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed but not ground
salt and pepper to taste
chili flakes to taste
2 lemon wedges

Cook the pasta as directed in the package.

Peel garlic cloves and blush them with olive oil.  Sear them in a pan until tender and golden brown. (Alternately, roast the garlic in a 400F oven.)  

Push the seared garlic cloves to side of the pan and put in the oil. Saute coriander seeds, shredded chicken the seared garlic cloves until you can smell the aroma of the coriander seeds wafting through the air.  

Add olives and chili flakes. Stir for a few seconds and pour in the pesto. Stir until heated through. Stir in pasta. Transfer to a plate and serve with shaved parmesan and a lemon wedge.