The inspiration for this recipe came from two sources. The first is one of mine and BeeBop’s favorite restaurants for a quick, casual dinner - Carrabba’s Italian Grill. It’s not 5-star dining by any means, but I actually think it’s pretty darned good. I usually have the Spiedino di Mare, shrimp and scallops grilled with a lemon butter sauce. It’s a real favorite of mine. However, the last time we went we both were in the mood to try something new and ordered the Chicken Bryan. It’s a grilled chicken breast topped with goat cheese and a sauce of basil, dried tomato, lemon and butter. We both like it very much, but I knew of something that could take that dish from really good to spectacular. That little something was Kay’s Pesto Rosso. The combination of the idea of Chicken Bryan with Kay’s Pesto Rosso and Chicken Kay was born!
The Kay that I’m talking about is the incredibly talented and beautiful author of the Kayotic Kitchen blog. If you’ve never visited Kayotic Kitchen before, please run right on over there and have a look around. It’s located at www.kayotickitchen.com. The recipes are something else and her photography — oh my, her photography! I only aspire in my wildest dreams to be that kind of photographer.
When you get to her site, type in “pesto rosso” in the search box and then feast your eyes on her truly wonderful recipe for red pesto. This stuff is seriously good. The day after I used it in the Chicken Kay recipe, I put some into an omelet with just pesto and goat cheese. It was incredible. Just trust me. You won’t go wrong with this pesto.
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 tblsp olive oil, divided
4 oz. goat cheese
4-6 tblsp fresh basil, chopped
4 large fresh basil leaves
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tblsp butter, divided
½ to 2/3 cup white wine
juice of one large lemon
1 recipe of Kay’s Pesto Rosso (www.kayotickitchen.com)
Prepare the pesto rosso (preferably the day before) and set aside.
Brush chicken on both sides with olive oil, season to taste with kosher salt and pepper. Grill chicken until done.
While the chicken is grilling, prepare the sauce. Saute the onion and garlic in 1 tblsp butter and 1 tblsp olive oil until soft.
Add wine and lemon juice. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer approximately 10 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened.
Top nearly done chicken breasts with one large basil leaf and one ounce of the goat cheese. Heat until cheese warms and softens slightly.
Add 2 tablespoons of the pesto rosso to the onion-garlic-butter-lemon sauce.
Add the remaining 2 tblsp butter a little at a time to the sauce until it melts and the mixture is emulsified. Add the fresh chopped basil. Remove from heat and stir to combine.
To serve, spoon the sauce over and around chicken breasts. Serve with a side of linguine with tomato sauce and a fresh garden salad.
Enjoy!
A recipe inspired by a fellow blogger at www.kayotickitchen.com
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 3 tblsp olive oil, divided
- 4 oz. goat cheese
- 4-6 tblsp fresh basil, chopped
- 4 large fresh basil leaves
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tblsp butter, divided
- ½ to 2/3 cup white wine
- juice of one large lemon
- 1 recipe of Kay’s Pesto Rosso
Instructions
- Prepare the pesto rosso (preferably the day before) and set aside. Recipe available from Kayotic Kitchen at http://www.kayotickitchen.com.
- Brush chicken on both sides with olive oil, season to taste with kosher salt and pepper. Grill chicken until done.
- While chicken is grilling, prepare the sauce. Saute the onion and garlic in 1 tblsp butter and 1 tblsp olive oil until soft.
- Add wine and lemon juice. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer approximately 10 minutes until sauce has reduced and thickened.
- Top nearly done chicken breasts with one large basil leaf and one ounce of the goat cheese until cheese warms and softens slightly.
- Add the remaining 2 tblsp butter a little at a time to the sauce until it melts and the mixture is emulsified. Add 2 tblsp pesto rosso and the fresh chopped basil. Remove from heat and stir to combine.
- To serve, spoon the sauce over and around chicken breasts. Serve with a side of linguine with tomato sauce and a fresh garden salad.
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
You’re trying to get me to blush aren’t you!:)
It looks absolutely delicious. Never combined it with chicken before and I’m definitely going to try it.
What a great recipe with a lot of nice flavour! Well done
This looks so good. It is making me hungry. Please make this the next time you come to my house.
I’m going to have to make that very soon. I think I may omit the butter and use olive oil though. Seems somewhat healthy! Thanks!
I would be happy to make it. Or you could come to our house and I’ll make it for you here!
If there’s goat cheese involved, we’re there. Beautiful dish and photos!
What a dish! Thank you for the recipe and introducing me to another great site.
I have been making so much chicken recently and have been running out of recipes. Thanks so much for this!!!
It looks delish!!!! :)
This looks absolutely terrific!!! I will be saving this…Thank you.
thank you very much for yours very nice recipe
No, not trying to make you blush :-) Just giving credit where it is due!!
Thank you so much. It did turn out well!
I think using olive oil would be fine. You just wouldn’t get the creamy texture to the finished sauce that the emulsified butter gives. If you try it, please let me know how you liked it!
You guys should try this one sometime. I even impressed myself with it….and that’s very hard to do. It was all thanks to that Pesto Rosso. That stuff is seriously good!