Chicken Milanese with Kale Pesto Spaghetti
By OcadoLife
Published on 14 August 2024
Crispy fried chicken is served with vivid green pesto-coated strands of pasta in this Chicken Milanese with Kale Pesto Spaghetti, from food stylist, writer and recipe developer Saskia Sidey. “Once you’ve made your own pesto, you’ll never look back,” she says. Serve it with a lemon-dressed salad to add freshness and zip that cuts through the richness of the cheese and breadcrumb coating.”
Time and servings
30 minsTotal time
4Servings
15 minsPrep time
15 minsCooking time
Ingredients
- 0.5 (200g) bag sliced kale
- 1 (100g) jar capers, drained
- 100g parmesan, grated
- 100g walnuts
- 2.5 lemons, juiced
- 1 garlic clove
- 100ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tbsp
- 30g basil
- 1 (650g) pack chicken fillets
- 100g panko breadcrumbs
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 3 tbsp olive oil, for frying
- 500g spaghetti
- 70g rocket
- 3 vine tomatoes, diced
- 1 cucumber, sliced
Method
Step 1
Blitz the kale, capers, 60g of the parmesan, the walnuts, juice of 2 lemons, garlic clove, 100ml extra-virgin olive oil and basil in a blender, reserving a few basil leaves for later. Season to taste.Step 2
Cut through the thickest part of each chicken fillet and open it out like a book. Place between 2 sheets of baking paper and flatten with a rolling pin to a uniform 1cm-thick.Step 3
Combine the breadcrumbs and remaining 40g parmesan on a plate; season. Dip the chicken in the beaten egg, then turn to coat in the breadcrumbs.Step 4
Heat the olive oil in a large high-sided frying pan over a medium-low heat. Fry the chicken for 3-5 mins on each side, until cooked through, golden and crispy.Step 5
Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a pan of boiling salted water to pack instructions. Drain, reserving a mugful of water. Return to the pan and toss with the pesto, loosening with a little reserved water to make a glossy sauce.Step 6
In a bowl, toss the rocket, tomatoes and cucumber with the remaining lemon juice and 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; season.Step 7
Slice the chicken into strips and divide between plates, along with the salad and pesto spaghetti. Scatter over the reserved basil leaves and dig in!