Speedy Chargrilled Chicken and Pesto Pasta

This is a deceptively simple meal that can be thrown together in under 15 minutes, but looks beautiful on the plate. Pair with a glass of chilled white wine and this dish becomes the hero of impromptu entertaining.

Ingredients

4 medium free range chicken fillets, flattened

Olive oil

1.5 litres (2¾ pints) boiling water

Small tomatoes on the vine

Olive oil

250g (9 oz) pasta shapes – penne or rigatoni

Salt, optional

3 tbsp pesto

Serves 4

Method

1. Brush the chicken fillets with a little olive oil. Use the boiling plate to heat an AGA cast iron grill pan and when hot add the chicken fillets, cook and colour on one side, about 5 minutes. Turn them over.

2. Transfer the grill pan to the simmering plate to complete cooking, about 10-15 minutes, depending upon the thickness of the chicken. Add the tomatoes to the grill pan 5 minutes before the end of cooking.

3. Meanwhile cook the pasta. Bring the water to the boil in a covered saucepan on the boiling plate, add the pasta and salt, if using. Return to the boil. Cook for the time indicated on the packet. Drain and add the pesto and mix well together.

4. Serve the chicken on a warm plate with the pesto pasta.


3 and 5-oven AGA
If you have the ovens turned on to their full heat then the chicken fillets can be grilled on the floor of the roasting oven, after initial starting on the boiling plate.

The pasta can be brought to the boil then covered and placed on the floor of the simmering oven and left for the time indicated on the packet, drain and complete as above.

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