Spice up roast chicken with a generous coating of basil pesto.
Ingredients
- 1.8kg whole fresh chicken
- 3/4 cup basil pesto
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 200g grape tomatoes, halved
- 250g cherry tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled, thinly sliced
- 400g can cannellini beans, drained, rinsed
- Lemon wedges, to serve
- Mixed salad leaves, to serve
Method
- Step 1Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Rinse chicken (including cavity) under cold water. Pat dry with paper towel. Trim excess fat.
- Step 2Using your fingers, gently lift the chicken skin away from the breast meat on each side to form 2 pockets, taking care not to tear it. Carefully spread 1/2 cup pesto under the skin, and then pat skin back into place. Tie legs together with kitchen string.
- Step 3Place chicken in roasting pan. Brush with a little oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast, uncovered, basting occasionally, for 40 minutes.
- Step 4Toss tomatoes, garlic and remaining oil together in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange the mixture in roasting pan around chicken. Roast for a further 10 minutes. Add beans to pan. Toss gently to combine. Roast for a further 10 minutes or until juices run clear when chicken thighs are pierced with a skewer (cover chicken with foil if over-browning). Remove from oven. Cover loosely with foil. Rest for 5 minutes. Serve chicken with tomato mixture, lemon wedges, salad leaves and remaining basil pesto.
Nutrition
26680 kj
Energy
40.8g
Fat Total
10.3g
Saturated Fat
8.3g
Fibre
51.8g
Protein
214mg
Cholesterol
630mg
Sodium
19.4g
Carbs (total)
All nutrition values are per serve
Notes
Cook’s notes: You can use pesto dip, fresh pesto or bottled pesto. Any leftover chicken is great for sandwiches, salads, or wraps.
Pesto contains nuts. Check whether any friends have a nut allergy before serving them this dish.
- Author: Jo Anne Calabria
- Image credit: Andrew Young
- Publication: Super Food Ideas
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