And once again, cleaning out the cupboards, using all that we have feels so good.

Not only does it accomplish the task of tidying up the kitchen, but such a feat saves a tremendous amount of money.
Oh, and being creative is pretty fun too.

There’s no way we can call this “leftovers,” as everything is fresh and full of fabulous flavor.

Chicken – breasts, thighs, skinless or skin-on (whatever you’ve got on hand), a little tahini, a little fig paste, a touch of pomegranate molasses, and some crunchy pecans.

You know, all the things that we all have sitting on our cupboard shelves, begging to be used.

Unfortunately, this time, the afternoon did not allow for homemade pasta. I felt a little bit guilty about that one.
But alas, I ended up killing two birds with one stone by using some packaged pasta that was simply vying to be devoured.

And devoured it was.

The “sauce” for the pasta was truly awesome. It also served as the chicken marinade and “batter,” if you will.

I guess we should just call it Awesome Sauce.

Tahini Fig Pecan Crusted Chicken

1 1/2 cups sesame tahini
1/2 cup fig paste
2 Tbs. pomegranate molasses +additional for garnishing drizzle 
2 Tbs. olive oil
4 large chicken “pieces” (thighs, breasts, etc. – bone-in or not, skinless or not)
sea salt and pepper
1 cup chopped pecans

pasta + olive oil + sea salt

Combine the tahini, fig paste, molasses, olive oil, and a bit of salt and pepper in either a microwave safe bowl or a saucepan. Heat just until the tahini “melts” and things can be stirred and swirled easily.

Divide the awesome sauce – 1/3 for the chicken and 2/3 for the pasta.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain immediately, rinse, and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

Meanwhile, pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and toss into a bowl with 1/3 of the awesome sauce. Then, douse each coated piece of chicken in a bowl or on a plate of the chopped pecans. Transfer to a parchment lined baking dish and bake for about 40 minutes, until the juices run clear.

The smell is truly amazing, by the way.

Toss the remaining 2/3 of the awesome sauce with the pasta.

Serve the chicken over the tossed pasta and garnish with fresh rosemary or parsley. Season with additional salt and pepper and drizzle with extra pomegranate molasses.