Crispy Pesto Chicken, Roasted Fennel and Courgettes

Name: Rukmini Iyer's Pesto Chicken Recipe | Easy Chicken Traybake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 3 mixed peppers, thickly sliced; 2 courgettes, thickly sliced; 1 red onion, thickly sliced; 2 small or 1 large bulb (approx. 300g) of fennel, roughly chopped; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp sea salt flakes; A handful of fresh sage leaves; 4 free-range chicken breasts; 4 heaped tsp fresh pesto (I like the chilled kind you get next to the ravioli at the supermarket); 4 heaped tsp panko or white breadcrumbs; A couple of handfuls of spinach, roughly chopped

by Rukmini Iyer from The Roasting Tin Around The World

This easy dish combines roasted vegetables and pesto and panko-crusted chicken for a simple and flavourful midweek meal.

Tray Bake Family Friendly Dinner Party

Serves 4

Total 1 hr

Prep 15 min

Cook 45 min

Easy

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Introduction from Rukmini Iyer

This is such an easy weeknight dinner – I love the combination of the simply roasted vegetables alongside the crisp, flavoursome chicken. The courgettes work really well with the peppers and fennel.

Ingredients

3 mixed peppers, thickly sliced

2 courgettes, thickly sliced

1 red onion, thickly sliced

2 small or 1 large bulb (approx. 300g) of fennel, roughly chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp sea salt flakes

A handful of fresh sage leaves

4 free-range chicken breasts

4 heaped tsp fresh pesto (I like the chilled kind you get next to the ravioli at the supermarket)

4 heaped tsp panko or white breadcrumbs

A couple of handfuls of spinach, roughly chopped

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/gas 6.

Tip the vegetables, oil, sea salt and sage leaves into a roasting tin large enough to hold everything in one layer, mix well, then transfer to the oven and roast for 20 minutes.

After the veg have had 20 minutes, make space in the tin for the chicken breasts. Spread each one with a teaspoon of fresh pesto, scatter over the panko or fresh breadcrumbs, then pop the tray back into the oven for a further 25–30 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then serve hot, with a little more sea salt if needed.

Note: The cooking time for the chicken will vary depending on the size of the chicken breasts – if they are small to ordinary size, 20 minutes for the veg plus 25 minutes for the chicken as above will be fine. If you’ve gone to the butcher and have got supersize ones, make it 15 minutes to start off for the veg, and 35 minutes with the chicken on top.

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