Pesto Chicken with Vegetables

This one-pan pesto chicken and vegetables is the perfect weeknight meal! It comes

together in about 20 minutes or so and you can throw in vegetables you have on hand. Use homemade basil pesto if you have it, but you can use a store-bought jar for a shortcut.

https://www.themediterraneandish.com/pesto-chicken-recipe/

By: Suzy Karadsheh,            

The Mediterranean dish.com

PREP TIME10 mins  COOK TIME10 mins             SERVINGS6 people (up to)

EQUIPMENT 

• Large skillet

INGREDIENTS

·        1.5 lb chicken breast cutlets

·         Salt and Pepper

• Extra virgin olive oil

• 1 zucchini cut into half moons

• 1 red bell pepper cored and cut into strips

• ½ red onion sliced

• 1 cup about 5 oz grape tomatoes

• 1/3 cup basil pesto (homemade or store-bought)

• 1/3 cup cream

• Juice of ½ lemon

• Zest of 1 lemon

• Toasted pine nuts for garnish optional

• Fresh basil for garnish optional

INSTRUCTIONS

1.                  Pat chicken breast cutlets dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides. (Boneless skinless chicken breasts can be used, simply cut them in half horizontally so that you have thinner pieces. Watch the video to see how I do this).

2.                  In large cast iron skillet, heat a little bit of extra virgin olive oil (about 2 tbsp) until shimmering but not smoking in a cast iron skillet. Add chicken to the heated skillet and cook over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, turning over once. Remove from the skillet and set aside for now.

3.                  If needed, add a little bit more extra virgin olive oil to the skillet. Add zucchini, bell peppers, onion, and grape tomatoes. Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes or so, tossing occasionally, until the veggies have softened.

4.                  In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, mix together the basil pesto and cream.

5.                  Add the chicken back to the skillet. Pour the pesto and cream mixture in. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for a minute or so.

6.                  Remove the skillet from the heat, add lemon juice and lemon zest. Add pine nuts and fresh basil for garnish. Serve hot with your favorite grain or plain orzo pasta.

NOTES

• Chicken breast cutlets are simply chicken boneless, skinless chicken breasts that have been cut in half horizontally so they are thinner for even and quick cooking. If you can not find chicken breast cutlets, you can simply use chicken breast meat and cut them in half as described. 

• To serve with your favorite pasta, feel free to double or triple the amount of basil pesto and cream mixture to make a bit more sauce for your pasta. 

• Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in a tight-lid container for 2 nights or so. You can warm it up stove-top over medium-low heat briefly (you may need to add a little liquid to help it). 

• Visit Our Shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including extra virgin olive oils and spices. 

My thoughts:

An important element of any recipe is the time it takes to make it. If it takes too long, then I have a tendency to lose interest. So, in keeping with the theme of making dishes that are quick and fairly easy to make, I present you with this delightful dish. It’s perfect to make on those nights when one doesn’t have much time, but still wants something delicious to eat for dinner. Plus with pesto as one of those ingredients, you can’t go wrong. It’s a small ingredient that carries a lot of flavor.