Creamy Chicken Pesto Penne

1 tbsp vegetable oil
40g butter
400g diced chicken breast
1 cup frozen peas
3 spring onions, sliced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
125ml cream
300ml sour cream
185ml chicken stock
1 cup grated parmesan
1/2 cup finely chopped basil
2 tbsp roasted pinenuts
400g penne pasta

Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente.

Heat the oil and half the butter in a pan and fry the chicken over high heat until browned. Remove and set aside. Add the spring onion, fry lightly and then add the frozen peas. Remove and set aside. Wipe the pan out and add the remaining butter and garlic, cook lightly for a few minutes and add the cream, sour cream and stock and simmer for 10 minutes until reduced slightly. Lightly toast the pinenuts in another pan until golden. Add the parmesan and basil to the creamy sauce and stir until cheese has melted. Return the chicken and vegetables, add the toasted pinenuts and season.

Combine the pasta with the sauce and test for seasoning. I could say garnish with fresh basil leaves but that annoys the hell out of me! Who wants a big chunk of basil in their first mouthful when the intention of the dish is to combine the flavours! You could use fresh asparagus instead of frozen peas but I am cheap!