Chicken, Spring Greens, Cannellini Beans and Pancetta Tray Bake with Pea and Mint Pesto and Pecorino

Step  0: Set oven to 220C fan / 240C nonfan with a large roasting tin/dish inside to allow to heat up. season chicken with salt and pepper. Scatter the pancetta on the base of the hot roasting tray, then add the chicken skin side up and roast for 15 minutes, till lightly browned.
Step  1: Separate out the leaves of spring greens from the stalks and set aside. Strain the liquid from the beans, then add the stock cube to the liquid with a splash of hot water and break up with a fork. Mix in half the jar of pesto.
Step  2: Take the tray out of the oven, turn oven down to 200C fan / 220C nonfan. Remove the chicken to a plate then spread the greens and beans on the bottom. Place chicken on top, pour stock around, then bake for 30 minutes.
Step  3: Allow to rest for 10 minutes then divide between plates, add a dollop of pesto and shave the cheese over the top.

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes

Serves 4-6 people

This traybake works great as a midweek dinner, utilising store cupboard ingredients to produce a vibrant dish that doesn't skimp on flavour. As a bonus, everything is cooked in one tin, so there is less washing up to do.

Ingredients

8 chicken thighs / approx. 1kg (with skin and bones, but up to you)
Salt and pepper
75g chopped pancetta/lardons/smoked streaky bacon
400g spring greens
2 tins cannellini beans
1 chicken stock cube
1 jar Pea and Mint Pesto

Method

Step 0: Set oven to 220C fan / 240C nonfan with a large roasting tin/dish inside to allow to heat up. season chicken with salt and pepper. Scatter the pancetta on the base of the hot roasting tray, then add the chicken skin side up and roast for 15 minutes, till lightly browned.
Step 1: Separate out the leaves of spring greens from the stalks and set aside. Strain the liquid from the beans, then add the stock cube to the liquid with a splash of hot water and break up with a fork. Mix in half the jar of pesto.
Step 2: Take the tray out of the oven, turn oven down to 200C fan / 220C nonfan. Remove the chicken to a plate then spread the greens and beans on the bottom. Place chicken on top, pour stock around, then bake for 30 minutes.
Step 3: Allow to rest for 10 minutes then divide between plates, add a dollop of pesto and shave the cheese over the top.

Related Recipes