Chicken Parmesan with Red Pepper Pesto

Last week one of the local dailies printed a recipe for Red Pepper Pesto.  Last night I swapped traditional tomato sauce out and replaced it with Red Pepper Pesto for Chicken Parmesan.  It was a great change!

I wondered, "If a sauce is made using something other than herbs is it still technically a pesto?"  To my trusty Food Lover's Companion!  Where I read:

pesto [PEH-stoh] Italian for "pounded," pesto is an uncooked sauce made with fresh basil, garlic, PINE NUTS, PARMESAN or PECORINO CHEESE and olive oil.  The ingredients can be crushed with MORTAR AND PESTLE or finely chopped with a food processor.  This classic, fresh-tasting sauce originated in Genoa, Italy, and although used on a variety of dishes, it is a favorite with pasta.  Now there are "pestos" made from myriad other ingredients from CILANTRO to MINT.

So then I wondered, "If Chicken Parmesan is made using something other than tomato sauce, is it technically Chicken Parmesan?"  Ponder on that poultry.