Pesto Glazed Chicken

Filed under:
Poultry

Ray KachatorianCurtis demonstrates his easy method for pounding up perfect pesto to use as a glaze for a moist chicken breast. Lightly herbed spaghetti rounds out the meal.

Get Curtis Stone's Pesto-Glazed Chicken Breast with Spaghetti recipe.

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Pesto-Glazed Chicken Breast With Spaghetti

To make the pesto: Using a Bump and Grind or another large mortar and pestle, smash the garlic into a coarse puree. Add 1 1/2 bunches of basil and pound until it is coarsely chopped. Mix in the grated Parmesan cheese. Add 1/3 cup of pine nuts and smash to break them up.

Pesto Glazed Chicken

Slowly mix in 1/4 cup of olive oil. Season the pesto to taste with salt and pepper. Set it aside.

Pesto Glazed Chicken

Preheat the oven to 400F. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large ovenproof sauté pan over high heat. Sprinkle the chicken breasts generously with salt and pepper.

Pesto Glazed Chicken

Cook the chicken breasts just until golden brown but not yet cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the pan from the heat.

Pesto Glazed Chicken

Spread the pesto over the top of the chicken breasts.

Pesto Glazed Chicken

Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the chicken is just cooked through, about 8 minutes.

Pesto Glazed Chicken

Meanwhile, to prepare the pasta: Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water over high heat until al dente, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking, about 8 minutes. Drain the spaghetti, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water in a large sauté pan over medium heat.

Pesto Glazed Chicken

Whisk 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the reserved pasta cooking water to blend well. Add the spaghetti and parsley and toss to coat.

Pesto Glazed Chicken

To serve: Using a two-pronged carving fork, swirl some of the pasta around the fork. Slide the pasta off the fork and mound it in the center of a plate. Repeat for each serving.

Pesto Glazed Chicken

Cut each chicken breast crosswise and on a slight diagonal into 4 slices.

Pesto Glazed Chicken