Pesto prosciutto chicken is easy enough for a weeknight dinner, but also elegant enough for a dinner party or holiday celebration. It’s ready to serve in less than 30 minutes, and your whole house will smell like a cozy Italian kitchen, with wafts of toasted parmesan, nuts, garlic and basil billowing throughout.
The best part of this dish is that you just need three main ingredients: chicken breasts, fresh basil pesto, and sliced prosciutto.
For the chicken, I recommend smaller chicken breasts if you can find them. The smaller breasts (about 5 to 6 ounces each) are usually more tender than the larger sizes, and are also a better serving size for one person.
For the pesto, my recipe is available here. You can use walnuts or pine nuts; both are delicious but walnuts are usually more readily available. If you have time, make a double batch of the pesto and save half in the freezer for later. Pesto freezes well and is so nice to have some already made in a pinch! Plus, bulk basil is much cheaper per ounce than smaller quantities.
For the prosciutto, it’s often available pre-sliced in a package with other cured meats, usually near the fancier cheeses. Otherwise, ask the butcher to slice it for you. Sliced pancetta works, too, like I use on this pesto pork tenderloin.
Serve with a simple Caesar salad, roasted cauliflower or asparagus, plus rice, pasta, or potatoes.
