Prep Time 10 minutes - Total Time 50 minutes - Serves 4
This is a proper easy family dinner that requires minimal effort and only 1 saucepan and 1 roasting tray. And you can use a jar of shop bought pesto, but if you can try making your own.
You pretty much just stick everything into the tray, pop into the oven and then go watch Coronation Street while the oven does all the hard work.
(You will also find this recipe on page 16 of my book Richard’s Family Favourites click here)
Ingredients
8 chicken thighs, bone-in and skin on.
800 g of new potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces.
150 g of smoked pancetta.
250 g of cherry tomatoes.
1 small handful of fresh basil.
3 tbsps of pesto.
Method
In a large pot of boiling salted water add the potatoes and boil till tender, around 8 minutes. Once done drain.
While the potatoes are boiling away, take the chicken and spread the pesto under the skin of each thigh.
Place the chicken, new potatoes and cherry tomatoes into a large roasting tray. Drizzle generously with extra-virgin olive and season with salt and pepper. Give it a good mix making sure to nicely coat everything. Make sure the chicken is skin side up and pop into a preheated oven set to 200℃ for 30 minutes.
After the 30 minutes are up, carefully scatter the pancetta all over everything and pop back into the oven for another 10 minutes. Once out of the oven add the basil and serve. I also like to add some chilli flakes and a glug of balsamic vinegar.