Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Breasts with Pesto Sauce and Big-Mushroom–Veggie Sauté

Name: Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Breasts with Pesto Sauce and Big-Mushroom–Veggie Sauté
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO); 4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 2 cups store-bought shredded domestic Parmesan cheese; 3 portobello mushroom caps, gills scraped off with a spoon, thinly sliced; 1/2 small Spanish onion, finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, chopped; 1 bunch thin asparagus, ends trimmed and discarded, spears chopped into 2-inch lengths; 3 tablespoons good-quality aged sherry vinegar, or red wine vinegar; 3/4 cup chicken stock or broth; 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, whole if small, halved if large; A handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped; 6 ounces good-quality store-bought pesto (from the dairy aisle)

December 9, 2011

Recipe information

Yield
4 servings

Ingredients

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)

4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups store-bought shredded domestic Parmesan cheese

3 portobello mushroom caps, gills scraped off with a spoon, thinly sliced

1/2 small Spanish onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 bunch thin asparagus, ends trimmed and discarded, spears chopped into 2-inch lengths

3 tablespoons good-quality aged sherry vinegar, or red wine vinegar

3/4 cup chicken stock or broth

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, whole if small, halved if large

A handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped

6 ounces good-quality store-bought pesto (from the dairy aisle)

Preparation

Step 1
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of the EVOO (twice around the pan). Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Dump out the cheese onto a plate and press the chicken into the cheese, covering all the pieces in cheese on both sides. Add the chicken to the hot skillet, allowing it to cook a full 6 to 7 minutes—DO NOT MESS WITH THE BIRD! The Parmesan is browning and melting together to form an all-cheese, no-bread-crumb crust all over the chicken. After 7 minutes (or when the chicken budges easily), turn and cook the chicken 5 to 6 minutes more.
Step 2
While the chicken is browning, heat another large skillet over high heat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of EVOO. Add the mushrooms and season with pepper. Brown the mushrooms for 3 minutes. Season the mushrooms with salt and add the onion and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the asparagus, tossing to combine. Add the sherry vinegar and continue to cook until the skillet is almost dry, about 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and cherry tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes, or until the asparagus is tender. Add the parsley, tossing to coat.
Step 3
Top the chicken with a strip of pesto across each breast. Serve a pile of the big-mushroom-veggie sauté alongside each breast.
Tidbits
Step 4
Removing the gills from the mushrooms is only done for aesthetic reasons. The gills will blacken the other veggies as they cook together. If you don’t mind that, then you can skip the scraping.
Step 5
Holding off on seasoning the mushrooms with salt will help you get the mushrooms a nice, deep brown color. Salt brings out the water in the mushrooms, so while salting might help them soften faster it will slow their browning.

Rachael Ray's 30-Minute Get Real Meals

TagsChicken Breast Chicken Poultry Parmesan Cheese Dairy Portobello Mushroom Mushroom Vegetable Main Dinner Nut Free Gluten Free Weeknight Meals Saute Cookbooks

Recipe information

Ingredients

Preparation

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Tidbits

Step 4

Step 5

Recipe notes