Chicken pesto orzo salad
- Cassie Best
Save recipe
Serves 4-6
Easy
Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 15 mins
A star rating of 4.7 out of 5.12 ratingsRate
loading...
Elevate standard pasta salad by using orzo and pesto. The dish also offers a good way to make the most of asparagus while it’s in season in the spring, too
Ad
Skip to ingredients
Alternatives
Complete the dish
Loading...
Showing items 1 to 3 of 3
Lemon & elderflower traybake
A star rating of 4.4 out of 5.5 ratings
Pea, asparagus & ham hock tart
A star rating of 3 out of 5.4 ratings
Rhubarb & custard scones
A star rating of 5 out of 5.9 ratings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Units:
MetricUS
-
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
-
1 lemon
zested and juiced
-
3 garlic cloves
2 crushed, 1 left whole
-
1 tbsp olive oil
-
25g flaked almonds
-
large bunch of flat-leaf parsley
-
small bunch of basil
-
small bunch of mint
leaves picked
-
25g parmesan
grated, plus extra shaved parmesan to serve
-
100ml extra virgin olive oil
plus a drizzle to serve
-
250g orzo
-
16 asparagus spears
Keep the screen awake with cook mode on the Good Food app.
Nutrition: Per serving (6)
- kcal461
- fat25g
- saturates4g
- carbs33g
- sugars2g
- fibre3g
- protein25g
- salt0.2g
Ad
Method
-
step 1
Put the chicken breasts on a board and cover with a sheet of baking parchment. Use a rolling pin or meat mallet to bash to an even thickness of about 2cm, being careful not to break the chicken into pieces.
-
step 2
Combine the lemon zest, crushed garlic, olive oil and some seasoning in a medium bowl, then add the chicken and turn in the marinade to coat. Transfer to the fridge while you make the pesto.
-
step 3
Toast the flaked almonds in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for 2-3 mins, shaking the pan often until the almonds are golden brown. Tip into a small food processor or blender. Peel the whole garlic clove and tip this into the food processor along with the parsley, basil, most of the mint leaves, the parmesan, extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Season, then blitz to a fine texture.
-
step 4
Cook the orzo in a large pan of boiling salted water following the pack instructions, or until al dente. Heat a griddle pan over a medium-high heat and cook the marinated chicken for 4-5 mins on each side until cooked through with char lines. Drain the orzo and transfer the chicken to a plate to rest.
-
step 5
Drizzle the asparagus spears with a little extra virgin olive oil and season with salt, then griddle for 3 mins until just softened. Remove from the heat and set aside.
-
step 6
Toss most of the pesto through the cooked orzo along with any resting juices from the chicken. The remaining pesto will keep covered in the fridge for up to five days. Slice the chicken breasts. Tip the orzo onto a large serving platter and pile the asparagus and chicken on top, then scatter with the remaining mint leaves, some parmesan shavings and a grinding of black pepper. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and serve warm.
Recipe from Good Food magazine, May 2022
Ad
Comments, questions and tips
Rate this recipe
What is your star rating out of 5?1 star out of 52 stars out of 53 stars out of 54 stars out of 55 stars out of 5
Choose the type of message you'd like to post
Choose the type of message you'd like to post
CommentQuestionTip
Overall rating
A star rating of 4.7 out of 5.12 ratings
Ad
Ad
Get 3 months of Good Food All Access
Get 3 months of Good Food All Access for just £6. Find triple-tested recipes that take the stress out of deciding what to cook, spend less time planning, and more time enjoying the season.
Loading...
Ad
Loading...
Loading...