Pan-Seared Chicken

with Pesto-Dressed Zucchini & Fingerling Potatoes

45 MIN

4 Servings

From the Test Kitchen

Tonight, we're making a refreshing take on pesto to complement a medley of roasted vegetables. The base of our pesto is peppery arugula (cooked briefly to temper its bold flavor), which we're combining with almonds, Parmesan and bright lemon juice. We're then tossing it with seasonal zucchini, delicately flavored fingerling potatoes and red onion. Topped with juicy chicken and garnished with fresh basil, it makes for a light, refreshing summer meal.

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Nutrition

PER SERVING
Calories

540 Cals (est.)

fresh

ingredients

time-saving

tips & techniques

step-by-step

instructions

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1 Prepare the ingredients:

Preheat the oven to 475°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Halve the potatoes lengthwise. Peel and halve the onion, then slice into ¼-inch-wide wedges; separate the layers. Cut off and discard both ends of the zucchini; slice the zucchini into ½-inch-thick rounds. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Finely chop the almonds. Quarter and deseed the lemon. Pick the basil leaves off the stems; discard the stems.

2 Roast the potatoes & vegetables:

Place the potatoes on a sheet pan; place the onion and zucchini in a bowl. Drizzle each with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to thoroughly coat. Arrange the seasoned potatoes in a single, even layer, cut sides down, on 1 side of the sheet pan. Roast 9 to 11 minutes, or until slightly tender. Remove from the oven, leaving the oven on. Using caution with the hot pan, arrange the seasoned onion and zucchini on the other side of the sheet pan. Roast 13 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes and zucchini are browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven.

3 Coat & cook the chicken:

While the potatoes roast, place the flour on a plate. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper on both sides. Thoroughly coat the seasoned chicken in the flour (tapping off any excess). In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the coated chicken and cook 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside in a warm place, leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan.

4 Cook & drain the arugula:

While the potatoes and vegetables roast, add the garlic and arugula to the pan of reserved fond; season with salt and pepper. (If the pan seems dry, add 2 teaspoons of olive oil.) Cook on medium-high, stirring occasionally and scraping up any fond, 2 to 3 minutes, or until wilted. Transfer to a strainer; hold or rest the strainer over a bowl. Using a spoon, press down on the cooked arugula to release as much liquid as possible; discard the liquid. Transfer to a cutting board and finely chop. Transfer to a large bowl. Wipe out the pan.

5 Make the pesto & dress the vegetables:

To the bowl of chopped arugula, add the almonds, cheese and the juice of all 4 lemon wedges. Slowly stir in enough olive oil to create a rough paste; season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the roasted vegetables; toss to thoroughly coat and season with salt and pepper to taste.