Chicken & orzo with pesto crumb
Prep
10 mins
Cook
50 mins
Servings
4
Difficulty
Medium
This is one of those weeknight dinners I keep coming back to because it's genuinely easy and tastes anything but. The pesto breadcrumb topping gives the chicken this wonderful golden crunch while the orzo soaks up all the lovely flavors from the stock and tomatoes. What I love most is that everything cooks in one pan, so cleanup is minimal. The cherry tomatoes bring a bright sweetness that balances beautifully with the basil pesto, and they're packed with lycopene, which is brilliant for heart health. Start to finish in just an hour, this feels fancy enough for guests but simple enough for a regular Tuesday night.
Ella x
Ingredients
- 350 gramsessential cherry tomatoes(halved)
- 2 clove/sgarlic(sliced)
- 2 tbspessential olive oil
- 65 gramsfresh breadcrumbs
- 3 tbspgreen basil pesto(basil pesto)
- 600 gramsessential british chicken breast fillet(pack Essential British Chicken Breast Fillets )
- 300 mlslow salt chicken stock(hot low-salt chicken or vegetable stock)
- 250 gramsorzo pasta(rinsed)
Detail level
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 190ºC, gas mark 5. Toss the cherry tomatoes, garlic and oil in a large roasting tin. Season and roast for 15 minutes, stirring halfway. Meanwhile, mix the breadcrumbs and pesto and set aside. Season the chicken breasts; set aside.
- 2
Remove the tomatoes from the oven and pour in the hot stock. Stir in the orzo, then arrange the chicken breasts on top. Carefully pile the breadcrumbs on top of the chicken.
- 3
Bake for 30-35 minutes until the chicken is cooked through, the juices run clear and there is no pink meat. Leave to stand for 5 minutes before serving with a green salad, if liked.
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