This recipe came about after thinking of something to make using a bunch of leftover basil I had. My daughter really likes chicken pesto pasta, so I made a twist on that by combining sautéed chicken with roasted broccoli and tomatoes.
The result was A-M-A-zing! Bonus--it only took 30 minutes to make.
Since the recipe for pesto makes about twice as much as needed for the dish, next time I would double the chicken, broccoli, and tomatoes. Then I would have enough for leftovers.
Let me know what you think in the comments below.
Cheers!
Jen
30 Minute Chicken and Roasted Broccoli Pesto
Serves: 4 Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
2-3 chicken breasts
2 large broccoli crowns
1 cup of grape tomatoes (optional)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Pesto, recipe below, or quality store-bought
Homemade Pesto
2 cups of fresh basil, packed
½ cup of grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup of pine nuts
3 cloves of garlic
Salt and pepper
¼ olive oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil.
Cut broccoli florets in half or quarters, if larger. Cut grape tomatoes, if using, in half. Spread broccoli and tomatoes out on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss until well coated. Roast 15-20 minutes, tossing halfway through.
While the broccoli and tomatoes are in the oven, dice the chicken breast. Warm olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook. Toss occasionally until chicken is cooked through and brown. (If excess liquid forms, drain liquid from the skillet and continue cooking.)
While the chicken is cooking, place all ingredients for the pesto in a food processor and blend until smooth.
In a large bowl combine chicken, broccoli, and tomatoes with about half of the pesto. Toss until well coated.
Notes:
Save the remaining pesto for another dish. Store in the fridge for one week or freeze for six months.
For larger families or to have leftovers, double chicken, broccoli, and tomatoes and use all the pesto.
