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This white wine pesto chicken with heirloom tomatoes and zucchini is bursting with fresh flavor, and is the perfect end-of-summer dinner to make this week! Pesto seared chicken, vine ripe heirloom tomatoes, fresh garden zucchini and a delicious white wine sauce- this is the perfect one pan dish!
I am so excited to be sharing this recipe with you all today! Really, really excited.
With the seasons changing, I really wanted to post one last summer dish before all the cozy dishes ahead. And what screams end-of-summer more than fresh zucchini, heirloom tomatoes and pesto?! Really the combo is beyond delicious.
If you missed our Raspberry Peach Brown Sugar Crumb Bars recently, be sure to bake up a batch as an ode to all things summer. Pumpkin-everything season is upon us, and I for one am oh so excited! Anyone else just so ready for all the fall flavors?! Sweet, savory. All of it.
This summer we have had an abundance of fresh zucchini- so I knew I had to create a recipe where the zucchini would really shine, and this recipe did not disappoint! Seriously, it’s so good and so easy, and was so fun to put together! If you’re looking for an easy, summery dinner to make before the cooler Autumn days ahead- then this is definitely a recipe you’re going to want to save! Bonus if you’re like me and have a lot of zucchini in the garden you need to use up.
Another reason why I love this dish? It can all be done in one pan! Some of the best dinners are one-pan dinners, wouldn’t you agree?! All the flavors blend together for something truly special. Plus, easy clean up is always a win!
Pesto is one of my all time favorite summer flavors… the combination of white wine and heirloom tomatoes with the pesto really put this dish over the top.
So let’s get to some of the details!
First, the pesto chicken..
This recipe uses an oven safe skillet for an easy, one-pan meal. Make sure you’re skillet is oven safe. If not, you can transfer everything to a casserole dish instead with the same delicious results!
But first, let’s talk about this delicious pesto chicken…
For this dish, you’re going to coat the chicken breasts with a high quality pesto, or alternatively you can make a homemade pesto.
First, season the chicken liberally with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Next, dredge each chicken breast in all purpose flour, shaking off excess. Scoop ½ cup of the pesto into a bowl. Using your hands evenly distribute the pesto all over the chicken.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter and olive oil in a large oven safe skillet over medium high heat and sear each piece until nicely browned, about 2 minutes per side. Set the chicken aside on a plate.
Burst Heirloom Tomatoes and Zucchini..
Heirloom tomatoes are a must for this recipe! They’re extra sweet, juicy and compliment the pesto and white wine sauce so well. Plus, they’re so colorful and pretty!
Into the same pan used for the chicken, add the remaining 4 tablespoon of butter over medium high heat. Add the heirloom tomatoes and cook for 5-8 minutes until they begin to wilt and burst. As they begin to burst, carefully bump up the heat to high. Using the back of a spatula, crush the tomatoes to release their juices. After the all the tomatoes have burst, turn the heat back down to medium high. Add the chopped onion to the tomatoes and saute for 3-5 minutes, or until the onion softens. Add the zucchini and season everything with salt, pepper and additional garlic powder to taste.
To the veggies, add the white wine. Bring everything to a boil and cook stirring often for 5 minutes, or until the wine begins to reduce. When the wine has reduced to about half, turn off the heat. Add the chicken pieces back to the pan and place the skillet in the oven and bake until the chicken is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes.
When ready to serve, swirl the additional ¼ cup pesto throughout the dish and adjust any seasonings if necessary. EAT!
And that’s it! So easy. So delicious. And so perfect for an easy and flavorful end of summer dinner.
I hope you all enjoy the remaining warm summer days, and if you make this recipe I would love to hear from you!! Leave me a comment below- I love to hear your feedback! 🙂 Also, be sure to hit subscribe so you never miss a delicious recipe!
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More dinner ideas to try this week:
Recipe
White Wine Pesto Chicken with Burst Heirloom Tomatoes & Zucchini
Equipment
- oven safe skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb. chicken breast (about 4 chicken breasts)
- ½ cup pesto + ¼ cup, divided
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 tablespoons butter, divided
- 2 cups heirloom tomatoes
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 zucchini, sliced
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder, or to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
- fresh parmesan cheese for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Season the chicken liberally with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Dredge the chicken breasts in the flour, shaking off excess. In a bowl add ½ cup of the pesto. Using your hands generously apply the pesto all over the chicken.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large oven safe skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 2 minutes per side, until browned but not cooked through. Set the chicken pieces aside on a plate.
- Into the same pan, add the remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium high heat. Add the heirloom tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes begin to burst, about 5 minutes. With a wooden spoon, gently crush the tomatoes to release their juices and bump up the heat to high, stirring often for 1-2 minutes. When all the tomatoes have burst, bring the heat back down to medium and add the onion. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the onion becomes soft and translucent. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Add the zucchini, and cook for an additional 3 minutes, stirring often.
- Next, add the white wine and bring to a simmer. When the wine reduces to about half, take the veggies off the heat and arrange the chicken pieces over the top. Transfer the oven safe skillet to the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
- When ready to serve swirl the remaining ¼ cup pesto around the pan, top with fresh parmesan cheese and enjoy!
Oh my goodness, Kaylen, this looks beyond delicious! I love all the flavours you have going on here, especially the combination of chicken, pesto and tomatoes – they go so well together. Thank you for the inspiration – a perfect weekday one pan meal!
Thank you so, so much Katerina!! 🙂 Gotta love all the fresh flavors!!
Katerina – this is also a dish fit for company! Delicious!
We were blessed to have Kaylen herself prepare this for us. It is every bit as luscious and stellar as you might imagine. The smashed tomatoes are so fun and tangy and they perfectly set off the savory basil and zucchini. This is a well balanced, full-of-flavor, perfect summer meal!