Butter-Basted Chicken with Potatoes, Asparagus, and Spinach-Basil Pesto

Cooking Steps

1. 

   Roast potatoes

   Preheat oven to 450°F. Unwrap butter, place in a small bowl, and set aside to soften at room temperature. Rinse all produce. Cut potatoes into ½-inch pieces. On a baking sheet, toss potatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and pepper as desired. Arrange in a single layer and roast until beginning to soften, 13-15 minutes (they'll finish roasting in Step 5).

2. 

   Prepare ingredients

   While potatoes roast, trim and discard woody bottoms of asparagus; cut crosswise on a diagonal into 1-inch pieces. Thinly slice sun-dried tomatoes. If you have a zester and want to infuse your chicken with even more flavor, zest up to ½ lemon, then halve. To bowl with softened butter, add lemon zest (if using), ⅛ teaspoon salt, and pepper; mash using a fork until fully combined. Pat spinach dry with paper towel.

3. 

   Cook chicken

   Pat chicken very dry with paper towel; season all over with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat. When oil is shimmering, add chicken skin-side down; sear until skin is golden and easily lifts from pan, 6 minutes. Flip, top with lemon butter, and cook, spooning over melted butter, until cooked through and no longer pink, 6 minutes more. Remove pan from heat.

4. 

   Make spinach-basil pesto

   Transfer chicken to a plate, pour over lemon butter, and set aside to rest. Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, combine whole basil sprigs, whole garlic clove, ¼ of spinach, juice of ½ lemon, and 3 tablespoons olive oil; blend until smooth. Add half of Parmesan, ¼ teaspoon salt, and pepper; blend until just combined. Alternatively, mince basil, garlic, and ¼ of spinach, then combine in a bowl with remaining pesto ingredients.

5. 

   Finish vegetables

   Once potatoes are beginning to soften, add asparagus to sheet and toss to combine. Continue roasting until potatoes are golden and asparagus is tender, 5-7 minutes more. Use this downtime to set the table, or relax with a glass of wine. Then, add sun-dried tomatoes, spinach-basil pesto, and remaining spinach to sheet; toss to combine and wilt spinach slightly.

   
   

6. 

   Plate butter-basted chicken

   Cut rested chicken into ¼-inch slices. Divide roasted vegetables and spinach-basil pesto between serving plates, then sprinkle over remaining Parmesan. Top with butter-basted chicken. Enjoy!