Recipe: Chicken Genovese (Pesto-Roasted Chicken)
Dress your roast chicken in bright green pesto
We love a classic roast chicken as much as the next guy, but every once in a while we like to dress it up. And there's no better way to use up an abundance of fresh herbs than with a basil pesto, which not only imparts herby flavor but the spice of garlic and richness of cheese and nuts. It's a favorite easy dinner to serve all the way through summer.
Since the pesto burns easily, we roast at a moderate temperature, then broil for crispy, golden skin. It's crucial to watch the chicken carefully to prevent burning. We like that this is a single sheet tray meal that uses a carved-up chicken, but you could just as easily rub the pesto on a whole chicken for a beautiful green bird to carve tableside.
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Recipe from the Tasting Table Test Kitchen
Chicken Genovese (Pesto-Roasted Chicken)
Rich pesto is rubbed under the skin before roasting for this herb-packed spring dish.
Ingredients
- For the Pesto
- 2 cups basil leaves, plus more for garnish
- ¼ cup freshly grated Grana Padano
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
- ⅓ cup pine nuts, toasted, plus more for garnish
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more for garnish
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- ½ cup olive oil
- Kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste
- For the Chicken
- One 4-to-5-pound chicken, broken into 8 pieces
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions
- Make the pesto: In a food processor, combine all the ingredients except the olive oil and salt and pepper. Purée until smooth, then, with the motor running, stream in the oil until a smooth pesto forms. Season with salt and pepper.
- Make the chicken: Preheat the oven to 350°. Place the chicken in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then toss with half of the pesto, rubbing under the skin. Place on a wire rack over a baking sheet and roast until it has reached an internal temperature of 155°, 30 minutes. Turn on the broiler and continue to cook until the chicken is golden brown and has reached an internal temperature of 165°, 4 to 6 minutes more. Let rest for 5 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken to a platter. Dollop the remaining pesto over top. Garnish with basil leaves, Parmesan, pine nuts and red pepper flakes, then serve.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 1,154 |
| Total Fat | 92.0 g |
| Saturated Fat | 22.3 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.3 g |
| Cholesterol | 272.9 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 7.0 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1.8 g |
| Total Sugars | 1.1 g |
| Sodium | 1,401.2 mg |
| Protein | 73.8 g |
