Chicken with a Parmesan & Pesto Crust Recipe

Photo: Chicken with a Parmesan & Pesto Crust Recipe

Serves: 4, On the table in: Over 60 Minutes

Ingredients

Olive oil for greasing & drizzling
4 chicken breasts, skin removed
100g fresh breadcrumbs
45g fresh Parmesan, grated
45g pine nuts
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
4-5 tablespoons Sacla' Classic Basil Pesto
Salt & freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Lightly grease a baking tray with a little oil.

Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally, to make eight thin fillets.

In a small bowl mix together the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, pine nuts & parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Spread the Pesto all over the chicken breasts then cover generously with the cheesy crumb mixture. Place on the baking tray and scatter over any remaining topping. Drizzle with a little oil and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the crumbs are golden and the chicken is cooked through.

Adopted from Sacla

More Chicken Recipes:

One Pot Chicken and Pesto Risotto 
Chicken and Rocket Wraps with Yogurt and Sacla’ Classic Basil Pesto Dressing 
One-pot pancetta-wrapped chicken thighs
Spatchcocked Lemon Herb Chicken
Baked Stuffed Chicken Breast with Basil Pesto  
Chicken and Olive Pasta with Crispy Breadcrumbs 

One Pot Chicken and Pesto Risotto Recipe

Serves: 4, On the table in: Up to 60 Minutes

Ingredients

5 tbsp olive oil
1 small red onion, finely chopped
300g tub Sacla’ Fresh Cherry Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce
1 fresh rosemary sprig
3 garlic cloves, chopped
350g risotto rice
750ml-1 litre chicken stock, hot
250g cooking chorizo, cut into thick slices
2 tbsp Sacla’ Fresh Tomato Pesto
4 free-range skin-on chicken thighs, seasoned
Lemon wedges to serve
Fresh parsley, chopped, to serve

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. In a shallow casserole dish, mix 4 tbsp of olive oil with the onion, Sacla’ Fresh Cherry Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce, rosemary and garlic. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.

Remove from the oven. Stir in the risotto rice, hot chicken stock, chorizo and Sacla’ Fresh Tomato Pesto and season. Cover the dish again and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tbsp of oil in a frying pan. Fry the seasoned chicken, skin side down, for 5 minutes then set aside.

Remove the casserole dish from the oven, stir the rice and nestle the chicken on top. Cover again and return it to the oven for the last 10-15 minutes of cooking, until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through. Scatter with parsley and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.

Adopted from Sacla

More Chicken Recipes: 

Chicken and Rocket Wraps with Yogurt and Sacla’ Classic Basil Pesto Dressing 
One-pot pancetta-wrapped chicken thighs
Spatchcocked Lemon Herb Chicken
Baked Stuffed Chicken Breast with Basil Pesto  
Chicken and Olive Pasta with Crispy Breadcrumbs  
Chicken and Pesto Lasagne by Mitzie Wilson

Chicken and Rocket Wraps with Yogurt and Sacla’ Classic Basil Pesto Dressing Recipe

Serves: 1, On the table in: Up to 15 Minutes 

Ingredients

200g tub Greek yogurt
1 ½ tsp Sacla’ Classic Basil Pesto
1 ½ tsp mango chutney
200-250g leftover roast chicken
¼ cucumber, deseeded and cut into thin sticks
2 flour tortillas
Handful of rocket

Instructions

In a bowl, mix together the yogurt, Sacla’ Classic Basil Pesto, mango chutney and season with black pepper. Drizzle the mixture over the chicken and toss to coat. Divide the mixture between the tortillas and top with the cucumber and rocket. Wrap the tortillas to encase the filling.

Adopted from Sacla

More Chicken Recipes:

One-pot pancetta-wrapped chicken thighs
Spatchcocked Lemon Herb Chicken
Baked Stuffed Chicken Breast with Basil Pesto  
Chicken and Olive Pasta with Crispy Breadcrumbs  
Chicken and Pesto Lasagne by Mitzie Wilson
Tagliatelle with Red Pesto, Chicken & Asparagus

One-pot pancetta-wrapped chicken thighs recipe

Photo: One-pot pancetta-wrapped chicken thighs recipe

Serves: 4, On the table in: Over 60 Minutes

Ingredients

8 slices pancetta or thin rindless streaky bacon
4 chicken thighs
4 Italian-style pork sausages, twisted in half & snipped
2 medium red onions, peeled & cut into 4 through the root
1 red pepper, halved, deseeded & cut into chunks
1 yellow pepper, halved, deseeded & cut into chunks
4-6 tblsp olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, peeled & crushed
8 sprigs thyme, leaves removed
65ml (2½ floz) white wine or water
200g (7oz) courgettes, trimmed & thickly sliced
400g (14oz) tin cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
350g jar Sacla’ Whole Cherry Tomato & Mascarpone Sauce
2 tblsp roughly chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°Fan, Gas Mark 6.

Wind the pancetta or bacon around the chicken and place in a large roasting tin or ovenproof dish. Arrange the sausages, onions and peppers around the chicken, drizzle generously with olive oil, add the garlic, thyme and salt and pepper. Rub everything with the oil and seasonings, ensuring the chicken is skin-side uppermost. Pour over the wine or water, and cover with foil.

Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 20 minutes, basting with the juices once, remove the foil, add the courgette and cook for 10 minutes to allow the chicken to crisp up and become golden.

Remove from the oven, add the beans, pour over the Sacla’ Whole Cherry Tomato & Mascarpone Sauce, shake to combine and cook for a further 10 minutes. Scatter with parsley and serve.

More Chicken Recipes: 

Spatchcocked Lemon Herb Chicken 
Baked Stuffed Chicken Breast with Basil Pesto
Chicken and Olive Pasta with Crispy Breadcrumbs

Chicken and Pesto Lasagne by Mitzie Wilson
Tagliatelle with Red Pesto, Chicken & Asparagus
Chicken Garbure

Spatchcocked Lemon Herb Chicken Recipe

Photo: Spatchcocked Lemon Herb Chicken Recipe

Makes6 to 8 servings

Active time: 30 min
Total time: 6 hr (includes marinating)

Spatchcocking a bird—cutting out the backbone and flattening it, allows the chicken to cook quickly and evenly, resulting in moist juicy meat. A flavorful marinade of lemon and herbs infuses the chicken—and your kitchen—with its heady scent. 

INGREDIENTS:

5 garlic cloves
4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons paprika (not smoked or hot); optional
2 (3 1/4 to 3 1/2 pound) chickens
2 lemons, quartered

EQUIPMENT:

an instant read thermometer; 2 heavy-duty gallon-sized sealable plastic bags

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Mince and mash garlic to a paste with salt. Add herbs and chop a few times together with garlic. Transfer to a small bowl and whisk in lemon juice until salt dissolves, then whisk in olive oil, paprika (if using), and 1 teaspoon pepper until combined. Set aside.
• Working with one chicken at a time, place, breast side down, on work surface. Cut out backbone with poultry shears. Turn chicken over (breast side up) and tuck wings underneath, then with the heel of your hands, press down on breast to crack breastbone so that chicken will lie flat.
  Carefully run fingers between skin and meat to loosen skin from breast, thigh, and leg. Repeat with other chicken.
• Put 1 chicken in a heavy-duty large sealable plastic bag and put bag in a large bowl. Pour half of marinade into bag and work marinade under and over skin. Seal bag, forcing out excess air, and set aside. Repeat with remaining chicken. 
• Put both bags in bowl (in case of leaks) and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Bring chickens to room temperature 30 minutes before roasting.
• Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle.
• Heat a large (12 to 14 inch) heavy skillet (not non-stick) over medium-high heat until hot, about 5 minutes.
• Remove 1 chicken from bag, discarding bag with marinade, and place, breast side down, in skillet (no need to pat it dry). Sear chicken until skin is browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer, breast side up (this is most easily done with tongs and a large spatula), to a large (18- by 13-inch) rimmed sheet pan.
• Repeat with other chicken, arranging on same sheet pan.
• Roast until an instant read thermometer inserted into fleshy part of thigh (do not touch bone) registers, 170°F, 40 to 45 minutes.
• Towards last 15 minutes of roasting, arrange lemons, with a cut side down, on pan around chicken.
• Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes.
• If lemons aren’t roasted enough, return to oven while chicken rests. When browned, transfer lemons with tongs to a platter.
• Strain pan juices into a fat separator or large measuring cup and let fat rise to the top. Reserve pan juices and discard fat.
• Cut chicken into quarters and serve on platter with roasted lemons. Serve pan juices on the side.

COOKS’ NOTES:

Chicken can be marinated 1 day ahead and kept chilled.

Photo: Jeffrey Schad
by Melissa Roberts with Food and Prop Styling by Paul Grimes

More Chicken Recipes:

Baked Stuffed Chicken Breast with Basil Pesto
Chicken and Olive Pasta with Crispy Breadcrumbs

Chicken and Pesto Lasagne by Mitzie Wilson
Tagliatelle with Red Pesto, Chicken & Asparagus
Chicken Garbure
Grilled Chicken with Tomato and Mascarpone, Mushrooms and Parmesan

Baked Stuffed Chicken Breast with Basil Pesto Recipe

Photo: Baked Stuffed Chicken Breast with Basil Pesto Recipe

Serves: 4, On the table in: Up to 60 Minutes

Ingredients

4 free range chicken breasts with the skin on
1/2 a pack of Fresh Sacla' Classic Basil Pesto or 1/2 a jar of Sacla' Classic Basil Pesto.
1 jar of Sacla' Vine Ripened Tomato & Marscarpone Stir-in.
400g (14oz) canned chopped tomatoes
Grated Parmesan

Instructions

Heat the oven to 180C, 160C fan, 350F, gas 4. Heat a frying pan, season the chicken and fry skin side down for 2 minutes until crispy. Cut a pocket in the thickest side of each and spoon in the Classic Basil Pesto.

Pour the Tomato & Mascarpone Stir-in and the tomatoes into a oven proof dish and sit the chicken breasts on top. Grate over some Parmesan and bake for 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is bubbling. Serve with roasties.

Source: Sacla UK

More Chicken Recipes:

Chicken and Olive Pasta with Crispy Breadcrumbs
Chicken and Pesto Lasagne by Mitzie Wilson
Tagliatelle with Red Pesto, Chicken & Asparagus
Chicken Garbure
Grilled Chicken with Tomato and Mascarpone, Mushrooms and Parmesan
Roasted Chicken Breasts with Basil Pesto

Chicken and Olive Pasta with Crispy Breadcrumbs Recipe

Photo: Chicken and Olive Pasta with Crispy Breadcrumbs Recipe

Serves: 2, On the table in: Up to 30 Minutes

Ingredients

300g of Fresh Pasta (eg 1 pack of Fresh Sacla' Trofie pasta)
1 Pack of Fresh Sacla' Olive & Tomato Pesto or 1 jar of Sacla' Italian Tomato & Olive Stir-in.
150g (5oz) cooked chicken, shredded
3tsp Sacla; Fiery Chilli Pangrattato (breadcrumbs)
Chopped parsley, to serve 

Instructions

Cook the pasta according to instructions then stir through the sauce and chicken with 1tsp of the cooking water. Season, divide between bowls and top with crispy breadcrumbs and chopped parsley.

Source: Sacla UK

More Chicken Recipes:

Chicken and Pesto Lasagne by Mitzie Wilson
Tagliatelle with Red Pesto, Chicken & Asparagus
Chicken Garbure
Grilled Chicken with Tomato and Mascarpone, Mushrooms and Parmesan
Roasted Chicken Breasts with Basil Pesto
One-Pot Tomato & Olive Chicken with Gnocchi