Fresh Pesto is an all time favorite of mine. Combine those flavors with a rich sauce made with cheeses & herbs, stuffed into panko crusted chicken breasts, and it’s absolutely delish! I will also post a great pesto recipe, that I recently tried in my brand new 14 cup Cuisinart Food Processor. Oh Baby…it is my new favorite toy!
Ingredients:
2/3 cup ricotta cheese
4 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 Tablespoons prepared pesto
(from your grocer, or better yet make your own)
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (2 3/4 pounds)
wooden toothpicks
1 egg
1 cup Italian Panko breadcrumbs
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray jelly roll pan with cooking spray. 2. In bowl, combine ricotta, 3 Tbs. of the parsley, pesto and Parmesan. 3. Transfer mixture to plastic food storage bag, snip a hole in one corner, set aside. 4. Cut a 2″ deep horizontal pocket into each chicken breast. 5. Dividing evenly, pipe ricotta mixture into pockets. Secure with toothpicks. 6. In a shallow bowl, lightly beat egg. Spread breadcrumbs on wax paper. 7. Dip each piece of chicken into the egg, then coat with breadcrumbs. 8. Place on pan, coat chicken with cooking spray. 9. Bake chicken until no longer pink inside, about 20 to 25 minutes. 10. Sprinkle remaining parsley evenly over chicken pieces, serve hot.
BASIL PESTO
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
1/2 cup Parmesan or Romano
2 garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
To make pesto:
Directions
Toast pine nuts in a skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Combine pesto ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well combined but still rough-textured.