Creamy pesto chicken with cherry tomatoes and basil
This one-pan dish delivers the perfect balance: rich and satisfyingly comforting, yet light and wonderfully fresh.
This one-pan dish is a weeknight game-changer. Everything cooks together, building maximum flavour while keeping clean-up to a minimum. It’s the perfect mix of rich and comforting, yet still light and fresh enough for spring.
Ingredients
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
4 chicken breasts (about 750g)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 brown onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 x 200g punnets cherry tomatoes, whole
125ml (½ cup) chicken stock
⅓ cup store-bought basil pesto
180ml (¾ cup) cream
500g store-bought fresh gnocchi
70g (about ⅓ cup) parmesan cheese, freshly grated
2 cups baby spinach leaves, packed
½ cup fresh basil leaves, torn, to serve (optional)
Method
Step 1
Combine the salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder in a large bowl, then add the chicken breasts. Rub the spices all over the chicken to coat evenly.
Step 2
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
Step 3
In the same pan, add the onion and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes, or until softened and fragrant. Turn the heat to high, add the cherry tomatoes and cook for 4-5 minutes until they begin to blister and soften. Reduce the heat to medium, pour in the chicken stock, and let the mixture simmer for 2-3 minutes to reduce slightly.
Step 4
Combine the pesto and cream in a small bowl. Pour the mixture into the pan and stir to combine. Add the gnocchi, mix well, and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the gnocchi is tender and the sauce has slightly thickened.
Step 5
Stir in the parmesan and spinach, allowing the leaves to wilt into the sauce.
Step 6
Return the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly and everything is well coated in sauce.
Step 7
Serve warm, with extra parmesan or fresh basil on top if desired.
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Sarah Pound is a nutritionist, author of the cookbook 'Wholesome by Sarah', and a recipe columnist for Good Food.From our partners
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