Description
Pesto Chicken with Tomatoes delivers a quick weeknight dinner that brings restaurant-style flavor straight to your kitchen table. Juicy chicken breasts nestled in a rich, herbal sauce and sweet roasted tomatoes make this simple meal a total crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh mozzarella cheese (sliced)
Seasonings and Base Ingredients:
- ⅓ cup pine nuts
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Grab your pine nuts and toast them in a dry skillet at 350°F for 3-4 minutes until golden and fragrant. Watch carefully to prevent burning.
- Pulse 2 cups basil leaves, ½ cup Parmesan, toasted pine nuts, and 2 cloves minced garlic in a food processor until roughly chopped.
- Drizzle ¼ cup olive oil into the processor while blending until the mixture becomes smooth. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice, sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Set pesto aside.
- Pat your 4 chicken breasts dry and pound them to ½-inch thickness. Combine 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- Coat each chicken breast thoroughly with the spice mixture, ensuring even coverage.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat at 400°F. Sear chicken for 6-7 minutes per side until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Transfer chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
- In the same skillet, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 minced garlic cloves. Sauté for 1 minute over medium heat.
- Add 1 pint halved cherry tomatoes, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Cook 8-10 minutes until tomatoes burst and soften.
- Stir ¼ cup heavy cream and prepared pesto into the tomato mixture.
- Return chicken to the skillet, spooning sauce over each piece. Simmer 2-3 minutes.
- Fold in ¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Top with sliced fresh mozzarella.
- Cover skillet and let cheese melt for 1-2 minutes.
- Sprinkle ¼ cup chopped fresh basil over the dish before serving.
Notes
- Choose pine nuts carefully, as they can burn quickly when toasting, so watch them closely and stir frequently.
- Make extra pesto and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, perfect for quick meals later.
- For a lighter version, swap heavy cream with Greek yogurt or coconut milk and use less cheese to reduce calories.
- Gluten-free diets can enjoy this dish by serving over cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles instead of traditional pasta.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
- Category: Sautéed
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 470 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 280 mg
- Fat: 36 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 25 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 115 mg