The Best Fresh & Easy Chicken with Arugula Pesto
A complete and flavorful meal featuring broiled chicken coated in a fresh arugula pesto, served with a side of pasta salad and pesto-topped tomatoes. A vibrant pesto is made in a food processor with arugula, parsley, and toasted nuts. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are pounded thin, coated with some of the pesto, and then quickly cooked under the broiler. The dish is served with a simple pasta salad of orecchiette and green beans, and broiled tomatoes that are also topped with the pesto.
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 6 ounces orecchiette (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into pieces
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 3 cups baby arugula
- 1/2 cup firmly packed fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons almonds or hazelnuts, toasted
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 4 small skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 pounds)
- 2 medium tomatoes, halved
- 2 teaspoons whole-wheat breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Prepare the Pasta Salad: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orecchiette and cook as the label directs. About 3 minutes before the pasta is done, add the green beans to the same pot. Drain the pasta and beans, rinse under cold water, and toss in a bowl with half of the Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the lemon zest, and a pinch of salt.
- Make the Pesto: While the pasta cooks, preheat the broiler. In a food processor, puree the arugula, parsley, toasted nuts, lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of water, the remaining Parmesan cheese, the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and salt to taste.
- Cook the Chicken and Tomatoes: Place the chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound them to about 1/2-inch thickness. Transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet and season with salt. Rub all over with 1/4 cup of the prepared arugula pesto.
- Broil the chicken, turning once, for 4 to 5 minutes per side, until cooked through.
- While the chicken cooks, arrange the tomato halves cut-side up on another baking sheet and broil for 2 minutes.
- Spread each tomato half with some of the remaining pesto and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs. Broil for 1 more minute, until golden.
- Serve the broiled chicken, pesto tomatoes, and the pasta salad, with any remaining pesto on the side.
Notes
- This recipe is a complete meal, with a main protein, a starch, and two vegetable components.
- Cooking the green beans in the same pot as the pasta is an efficient time-saving technique.
- The homemade arugula pesto is used in three ways: as a coating for the chicken, a topping for the tomatoes, and a sauce to be served with the meal.
- Pounding the chicken breasts to an even thickness ensures they cook quickly and evenly under the broiler.
Find it online: https://www.eatswithsoul.com/chicken-with-arugula-pesto/