Chicken & Sundried Tomato Risotto with Courgette & Pesto Drizzle

Serving size

1 person 2 people 4 people

Ingredients

250g cooked short grain brown rice

(Cooked Wholegrain Risotto Rice 97% (Water, Risotto Rice), Sunflower Oil, Salt.)
2 tbsp green pesto

(Rapeseed Oil, Broccoli, Spinach, Broad Beans, Basil, Sunflower Seed, Garlic, Salt, Yeast extract powder (Yeast Extract, Salt), Pumpkin Seeds, Porcini Mushrooms, Kale, Golden Linseeds, Citric Acid, White Quinoa, Ascorbic Acid.)
10g chicken stock powder

(Chicory Extract, Yeast Extract, Natural Flavouring, Salt, Onion Powder, Chicken Stock Powder, Rapeseed Oil.)
40g Soft Cheese (Milk)

(10% fat cheese base (skimmed milk, cream, bacterial starter culture), salt)
2 tbsp sundried tomato paste

(Tomato Puree, Sundried Tomatoes, Rapeseed Oil, Water, Pine Kernels, Salt)
10g pine nuts
1 onion
1 courgette
40g baby spinach
2 garlic clove
300g diced British Free Range chicken breast

Allergens

Contains: Milk

Nutritional Information

Typical values	per 100g	per portion
Energy	125Kcal	695Kcal
	525kJ	2910kJ
Fat	5.1g	28g
of which saturates	1.1g	5.8g
Carbohydrates	11g	61g
of which sugars	2.0g	11g
Protein	9.4g	52g
Salt	0.54g	3.0g
Fibre	1.5g	8.4g

Ingredients

40g Soft Cheese (use half) (Milk)

(10% fat cheese base (skimmed milk, cream, bacterial starter culture), salt)
10g chicken stock powder (use half)

(Chicory Extract, Yeast Extract, Natural Flavouring, Salt, Onion Powder, Chicken Stock Powder, Rapeseed Oil.)
1 onion (use half)
10g pine nuts (use half)
1 courgette (use half)
2 tbsp green pesto (use half)

(Rapeseed Oil, Broccoli, Spinach, Broad Beans, Basil, Sunflower Seed, Garlic, Salt, Yeast extract powder (Yeast Extract, Salt), Pumpkin Seeds, Porcini Mushrooms, Kale, Golden Linseeds, Citric Acid, White Quinoa, Ascorbic Acid.)
40g baby spinach (use half)
2 garlic clove
250g cooked short grain brown rice (use half)

(Cooked Wholegrain Risotto Rice 97% (Water, Risotto Rice), Sunflower Oil, Salt.)
150g diced British Free Range chicken breast
2 tbsp sundried tomato paste (use half)

(Tomato Puree, Sundried Tomatoes, Rapeseed Oil, Water, Pine Kernels, Salt)

Allergens

Contains: Milk

Nutritional Information

Typical values	per 100g	per portion
Energy	125Kcal	701Kcal
	523kJ	2932kJ
Fat	5.0g	28g
of which saturates	1.0g	5.8g
Carbohydrates	11g	62g
of which sugars	2.0g	11g
Protein	9.4g	52g
Salt	0.53g	3.0g
Fibre	1.5g	8.5g

Back

High protein 5 plants Low sat fat

Chicken & Sundried Tomato Risotto with Courgette & Pesto Drizzle

Prep time: 15 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Cuisine: Italian

Food group: Poultry

Celebrate spring with this vibrant risotto, starring tender free-range British chicken, seasonal courgette and leafy spinach. Our new quick-cook risotto style rice adds speed and ease. Swirl in soft cheese to create a velvety smooth texture. A creamy pesto drizzle completes the dish. Buon appetito!

Cooking Instructions

The protein cooking time listed in this recipe has been updated.

As of December 2025, we've revised cooking times for all our proteins to reflect improved food safety guidance.

Check out the latest recommended times in our Cooking Guidelines.

Before you start

Pull out a large frying pan, a small bowl, a sieve & a measuring jug

Toast the pine nuts

Roughly chop the pine nuts
Heat the large frying pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the pine nuts and toast for 2-3 mins, tossing regularly, until golden brown. Remove and set aside
Thinly slice the courgette into 1/2cm half-moons

Get sizzlin'

Reheat the frying pan with 1 tsp oil on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and courgette cook for 8 mins, stirring occasionally, until golden. Season with salt and pepper
Meanwhile, finely slice the onion. Finely chop or crush the garlic. Rinse the spinach

Build the flavour

Add the onion to the chicken pan and cook for 4 mins, until softened. Stir in the garlic and sundried tomato paste and cook for another 2 mins, until fragrant
Stir in the soft cheese, stock powder and 200ml hot water (100ml for 1 person)
Bring to a boil and simmer for 3-4 mins, until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through

Finish the risotto

Check your chicken is cooked through by cutting a large piece in half; the flesh should be white and the juices running clear
Stir the rice and spinach into the chicken pan, breaking up the rice with a wooden spoon. Cook for 2-3 mins, until the rice is piping hot and the spinach is wilted. Add a splash of hot water to loosen if it becomes too dry. Season to taste

Make the pesto drizzle & plate up

In the small bowl, combine the pesto and toasted pine nuts. Loosen with a splash of water if needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper
Share the chicken risotto between bowls. Drizzle with the pesto