Name: Creamy pesto chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts; 3 tbsp homemade pesto (see tip below for the recipe); 85g mascarpone; 4 tbsp olive oil; 100g breadcrumbs preferably made from day-old bread; 175g baby tomatoes on the vine; handful of pine nuts; handful of basil leaves

Ingredients

4 serv.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tbsp homemade pesto (see tip below for the recipe)
85g mascarpone
4 tbsp olive oil
100g breadcrumbs preferably made from day-old bread
175g baby tomatoes on the vine
handful of pine nuts
handful of basil leaves

Instructions

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1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Use a small sharp knife to make a slit along the side of each chicken breast to form a pocket. Mix together the pesto and mascarpone, then carefully spoon a quarter of the mixture into each chicken breast and smooth over the opening to seal.
2 Brush a little oil, about 1 tsp, all over each chicken breast and season well. Tip the breadcrumbs onto a large plate and season. Place each breast on the plate and press all over with the breadcrumbs. Place in a lightly oiled shallow baking dish along with the tomatoes (kept together on the vine in a couple of bunches). Drizzle over the remaining oil.
3 Cook in the oven for 20-25 mins until the chicken starts to turn golden and is cooked through. Scatter over the pine nuts and cook for 2 mins more. Sprinkle with basil leaves and serve with new potatoes or crusty bread.