Pesto Chicken and Tomato Bake (Print version)
Basil pesto coats tender chicken while cherry tomatoes soften into a simple pan sauce.
# Ingredients:
Ingredients
01 -
4 chicken breasts, about 600 g
02 -
120 g basil pesto
03 -
250 g cherry tomatoes
04 -
100 g shredded mozzarella
05 -
1 tbsp olive oil
06 -
¼ tsp black pepper
# Instructions:
01 -
Heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F. Lightly coat a 23 × 33 cm baking dish with the olive oil.
02 -
Pat the chicken dry. If one end is much thicker, gently flatten it to an even thickness of about 2 cm. Arrange in one layer with a little space between the breasts.
03 -
Spread the pesto over the chicken. Halve the cherry tomatoes and scatter them around the chicken. Sprinkle with black pepper.
04 -
Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Scatter mozzarella over the chicken and bake for another 5–10 minutes, until the cheese melts and the thickest part of each breast reaches 74°C / 165°F. Larger pieces may need longer.
05 -
Rest for five minutes. Spoon the tomato and pesto juices over the chicken before serving. Slice one breast across the grain to show the juicy interior.
06 -
Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and use within three days. Reheat covered with the pan juices until the chicken reaches 74°C / 165°F.
# Good to know:
01 -
Includes 5 minutes resting or cooling time.