Ingredients
- 900 g (2 lb) boneless, skinless chicken breasts (roughly 3 chicken breasts), cut in half horizontally to create 6 thinner steaks
- ½ tsp sea salt flakes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- ½ cup (80 g) semi-dried (sun-blushed) tomatoes
- 2 cups (90 g) baby spinach leaves (see note 1)
- 1 cup (250 ml) thickened (heavy) cream
- ⅔ cup (185 g) pesto, store-bought or homemade
- 1 cup (100 g) freshly grated parmesan, plus extra to serve
Instructions
- Season the chicken breast with salt.
- Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan over medium–high heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook for 3–4 minutes on each side until golden. Set aside.
- Deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup (60 ml) of water, scraping up any crispy bits with a wooden spoon.
- To the same pan, add the garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute, stirring, until fragrant.
- Add the semi-dried tomatoes, spinach leaves (or veg of choice, see note 1) and the cream. Bring to a gentle simmer (this will take 1–2 minutes).
- Stir through the pesto and return the chicken to the pan. Simmer on low heat for 3–5 minutes until the chicken has cooked through and the sauce has thickened.
- Top with parmesan and serve.
Notes
Note 1 – This is a great dinner to use up the last of the veg in your fridge and freezer. You can use 2 cups of your vegetable of choice instead of the spinach. Some good options include cherry tomatoes, zucchini ‘zoodles’ (courgette ‘courgetti’), shredded kale, peas, shredded silverbeet (Swiss chard) or broccoli.
MAKE AHEAD
Refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container or freeze for up to 2 months – slice the chicken and ensure it’s covered with sauce to avoid freezer burn. Thaw completely in the fridge overnight. Reheat in the microwave. The sauce will lose a bit of creaminess and become more oil-based as the milk fats separate from the milk solids. It will still taste delicious!
LEFTOVERS
Refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat in the microwave. The sauce will lose a bit of creaminess and become more oil-based as the milk fats separate from the milk solids. It will still taste delicious!
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: chicken, Chicken Breast, Creamy Pesto Chicken Breast
- Method: pan, simmer
- Cuisine: Italian