Pesto Prosciutto and Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken with Marinara Gnocchi

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, very finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• ¼ tsp dried chilli flakes
• 3 x 400g cans finely chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp sugar
• 50g unsalted butter
• ½ small bunch basil, shredded, plus leaves to serve
• 2 x 500g bags fresh gnocchi
• Extra virgin olive oil, to serve
• Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

For the chicken:

• 3 tbsp fresh pesto, plus extra to serve
• ½ lemon, finely zested
• 4 chicken breasts
• 2 x 150g balls buffalo mozzarella, drained and chopped
• 8 slices prosciutto

METHOD

1. Heat half the olive oil over a medium-low heat in a casserole pot. Add the onion and a good pinch of sea salt and fry for 10-12 minutes or until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for 2 minutes. Tip in the tomatoes and the sugar, bring to a simmer and cover & cook over a low heat for 20 minutes, stirring halfway. Once cooked, stir through the butter and transfer to a blender or food processor and blend until very smooth. Season with salt and pepper and stir through the basil.
2. Mix the 3 tablespoons of pesto with the lemon zest and a grind of black pepper. Place a chicken breast on your chopping board. From the thick end, insert a sharp knife into the chicken to make a pocket, making sure you leave a few centimetres at the bottom so you don’t go all the way through to the end. Spoon a quarter of the pesto into the chicken, stuff with chunks of mozzarella and wrap two slices of prosciutto around the fillet. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.
3. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large, non-stick frying pan. Add the chicken breasts and fry over a medium-high heat for 3-4 mins on each side or until golden brown. Remove from the pan with tongs and set aside.
4. Tip in the tomato marinara sauce from the blender, the gnocchi and 200ml of water and bring to a simmer. Nestle in the chicken, season, cover and cook for 7-10 mins over a low-medium heat. Check the chicken is cooked then serve scattered with extra basil leaves, a drizzle of pesto and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.