This is one of our first and all time favourite recipes. Resist the temptation to use shop bought pesto, as it’s so simple to make and the smell of fresh
basil is as tantalising to the nose as it is for the taste buds. Fresh pesto will keep in the refrigerator for up to five days
SERVES 4
500g/1 1/4lb baby new potatoes halved
2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into bite-size chunks
200g/7oz cherry tomatoes
3 courgettes trimmed and cut into bite-size chunks
4 garlic cloves
small handful rosemary leaves finely chopped
small handful thyme leaves finely chopped
large handful basil leaves
1 tbsp pine nuts
30g parmesan cheese
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp groundnut oil
4 free-range skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
TO SERVE
Small basil leaves
Preheat oven to 200°C/180C fan/gas 6
Place the potatoes in a large, shallow, nonstick ovenproof dish. Alternatively if you don’t have a dish large enough to hold all the vegetables, use two dishes, dividing the potatoes between them. Cover with foil and cook in the oven for 20 minutes.
Remove the dish or dishes from the oven and add the red peppers, tomatoes, courgettes, garlic, rosemary and thyme. Stir through to combine with the potatoes then return to the oven, and roast, uncovered, for a further 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Stir the vegetables occasionally while roasting to prevent sticking.
While the vegetables are roasting, make the pesto. Place the basil, pine nuts, parmesan and olive oil in a food processor and blitz to a stiff paste.
Heat the groundnut oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the chicken and stir-fry for 5–7 minutes or until it is cooked through. At the last minute, add the fresh pesto, stir and cover until you are ready to serve. Turn off the heat.
Peel the roasted garlic cloves, squash or roughly chop and mix back into the vegetables. Either mix the pesto chicken in with the vegetables before serving or spoon the roasted vegetables around the edge of a serving platter (with any juices too), place the pesto chicken into the middle and garnish with the basil leaves. Dish out individually among four plates.
Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 50 minutes
Wheat free, Gluten free