Three-quarters of a cup of pesto is a lot, and it is added to a sauce rather than cooked into one. Broth and cream go into the skillet first, the pesto joins them, and the whole thing simmers gently for three minutes.
The chicken is seared whole and sliced afterwards. That is what gives the charred edges the finished plate shows, and it means the slices sit on the gnocchi rather than being lost in it.
Why This Recipe Works
- Searing whole breasts and slicing after resting keeps the interior juicy and the edges charred.
- A third of a cup of broth thins the cream just enough to carry three-quarters of a cup of pesto.
- Three minutes of gentle simmering warms the sauce without cooking the green out of the basil.
- Parmesan stirred in at the end thickens the sauce so it coats gnocchi rather than pooling.
Ingredient Notes
- Basil pesto
- Three-quarters of a cup, added to the sauce rather than cooked. Gentle heat only.
- Potato gnocchi
- Eighteen ounces, cooked to its own package timing and drained.
- Fresh basil
- Half a cup of leaves at the plate, on top of the pesto already in the sauce.
How to Make It
Sear and slice
Season chicken and sear in oil until browned and 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Rest, then slice.
Cook the gnocchi
Cook gnocchi according to package directions; drain.
Build the pesto cream
Add broth, cream and pesto to the skillet and simmer gently 3 minutes.
Coat the gnocchi
Stir in Parmesan and gnocchi until coated in green pesto cream.
Plate it
Plate gnocchi with charred sliced chicken, Parmesan and fresh basil.
How the Plate Is Built
This is plated rather than tossed and served from the pan, and the order it goes onto the plate is what the finished dish looks like.
Fresh basil
Half a cup of whole leaves, last. The pesto brings cooked basil; these bring the raw kind.
Grated Parmesan
Over the top, in addition to the half cup already in the sauce. This is the visible dusting the finished plate shows.
The charred sliced chicken
1 1/2 lb of breasts seared whole to 165F, rested, then sliced and arranged ON the gnocchi. Stirred through, the charred edges would disappear into the sauce.
The gnocchi in pesto cream
18 oz of potato gnocchi folded through a sauce of 1/3 cup broth, 3/4 cup cream and 3/4 cup basil pesto, simmered gently for 3 minutes and finished with 1/2 cup Parmesan. Green, and never boiled.
Success Tips
- Rest the chicken before slicing or the juices end up on the board rather than in the meat.
- Keep the pesto sauce at a gentle simmer; a boil dulls its colour.
- Plate the chicken on top rather than stirring it through, so the charred edges stay visible.
Serving Ideas
Six servings plated with the gnocchi in green pesto cream, the charred sliced chicken arranged over, and grated Parmesan and fresh basil on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I let the pesto sauce boil?
No. Three minutes at a gentle simmer keeps it green; a hard boil turns it olive.
Why slice the chicken after searing?
Searing whole and slicing after resting is what gives charred edges and a juicy interior.
How done should the chicken be?
165 degrees Fahrenheit before it comes off the heat to rest.
