One-Skillet Creamy Pesto Orzo with Chicken

Serving Size: 4

Time To Prep (mm): 10 minutes

Time To Cook (mm): 15-20 minutes

Swap Option: Use almonds or walnuts instead of pistachios in the pesto

Why I Love This Recipe: One-skillet meals are my love language. This entire dish comes together in just about a half hour, with minimal mess. The dream. I would like the record to reflect that I make pesto at least once a week, sometimes more, because it’s such a flavorful and simple addition to meals. For my pesto, I love to add pistachios for a slightly nutty flavor that balances with the creamy pine nuts. Stir this into a simple orzo base and it will instantly add an herby brightness with little work. To really guild the lily, I like to serve it with dollops of marinara and stracciatella. The trio of pesto, marinara, and creamy stracciatella? Heaven! Truthfully, you could omit the chicken from this dish and it would still be just as satisfying.

For the pesto: (makes 1 cup)

1 clove garlic, peeled

¼ cup shelled roasted, salted pistachios

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted

¾ cup freshly-grated Parmigiano Reggiano

¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Zest ½ a lemon

3 cups basil leaves, tightly packed

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the chicken:

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning

2 whole chicken breast boneless, skin-on, split in half cross-wise, patted dry

1 heaping tablespoon olive oil

½ cup minced yellow onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio

1 cup orzo

2 cups chicken stock

¾ cup pistachio pesto, plus more for serving

¼ cup heavy cream

Marinara sauce, warmed, for serving

Stracciatella, for serving

1. Make the pesto: In a mini chopper, pulse the garlic to mince.

2. Add the pistachios, pine nuts, Parmigiano, olive oil, red pepper flakes and lemon zest and pulse until well combined.

3. Add the basil and pulse until smooth; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

4. Make the chicken: Preheat oven to 350-degrees.

5. In a small bowl, mix the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper until well combined.

6. Season the chicken on all sides with spice blend.

7. In an oven-safe 10-inch skillet, warm the oil over medium heat.

8. Add the chicken, skin-side-down, and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes, then flip and and cook an additional 4 minutes; transfer to a plate.

9. Add onion and garlic to the skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until softened, for 3 to 4 minutes.

10. Add the white wine and , using a wooden spoon, scrape up any browned bits.

11. Bring the wine to a simmer and cook until reduced by half.

12. Add the orzo, chicken stock, pesto, and heavy cream and stir to combine.

13. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

14. Using tongs, nestle the chicken, skin-side-up into the skillet.

15. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook, undisturbed, until the orzo is tender and chicken is cooked through, for 12 to 15 minutes.

16. Using a wooden spoon, stir the orzo until creamy.

17. To serve, spoon a puddle of the orzo onto a serving plate and place a piece of chicken in the center.

18. Dallop some marinara, stracciatella and pesto over the exposed orzo; serve immediately.