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    Home » Recipes » Chicken Recipes

    Chicken Rollatini with Arugula Pesto

    Published: Jul 29, 2012 · Modified: Feb 21, 2022 by Chef Dennis Littley

    5 shares
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    5 from 4 votes
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    How to make Chicken Rollatini

    It’s no secret that the way to reach your golden years is to take care of your body. Well after many years of overindulging, I’m beginning to think it’s time to belly up to the bar (pardon the pun) and try to amend some of my eating habits. I know it’s not going to happen all at once, you don’t just give up heavy cream and butter cold turkey. But I think it’s time to start cutting back.

    Lisa and I have been talking about it (me eating healthier) since we’ve decided to make the move to Florida when we retire. She wants to make sure I’m still alive when we go, and I do understand that after all, I do all the cooking and shopping. (I know that’s not the only reason, let’s just say she has gotten used to having me around)

    arugula pesto with pistachio's and kelapo coconut oil

    For my first foray into the wonderful world of coconut oil, I wanted to do something a little different…..something you could sink your teeth into. I tested a few of my recipes, checked how the coconut oil reacted and found it to be a most resilient product.

    So far so good! From my restaurant days I chose a simple dish of Chicken Rollatini. I had served it as an appetizer and a main dish, and my stuffing of choice had been a basil pesto and toasted pine nuts. For this dish, I used arugula for the green in my pesto, and keeping with the green theme I went with pistachios instead of pine nuts.

    arugula pesto with pistachio's and kelapo coconut oil

    The coconut oil worked just as well as olive oil in my pesto, even using it in its solid form. It had no aftertaste and the nutty flavor of the arugula still shone through! I did want to add some cheese to the dish, but I didn’t want to use Romano with these flavors. Instead, I opted to use Gorgonzola crumbles, and my friends it was a good decision.

    I decided to add the Gorgonzola crumbles after applying the pesto to the chicken breast. This kept my pesto a vibrant shade of green and allowed the arugula to maintain its flavors as the cheese slowly melted into a creamy texture.

    The aroma was heavenly as the chicken finished baking, and the results were delicious! If you enjoyed this recipe you might also like my Chicken Taco Cups.

    arugula pesto with pistachio's and kelapo coconut oil

    If you’ve tried my Chicken Rollatini recipe or any other recipe on askchefdennis.com please don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know where you found it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME  on Instagram @chefdenniseats and @chefdennistravels,  Twitter and Facebook.

    arugula pesto with pistachio's and kelapo coconut oil
    Print Recipe Save Saved!
    5 from 4 votes

    Chicken Rollatini

    You’re going to love my Chicken Rollatini stuffed with an arugula pesto (made with coconut oil) and gorgonzola cheese crumbles. Simply Delicious!
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time18 mins
    Total Time38 mins
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 3
    Calories: 485kcal
    Author: Chef Dennis Littley

    Ingredients

    Pesto

    • 1 cups bunch- about 3 of arugula leaves
    • ¼ cup salted pistachio’s
    • 2 tsp grated Romano cheese
    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • 1 clove garlic peeled

    Chicken Rollatini

    • 12 ounces thinly sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts 6 pieces
    • 3 tbsp gorgonzola crumbles
    • ½ cup seasoned bread crumbs
    • 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
    US Customary – Metric
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    Instructions

    Pesto

    • Clean and wash your arugula leaves, pat dry in paper towels
    • In the bowl of your food processor, add the arugula, garlic clove, and pistachios. Pulse until fully blended and finely chopped.
    • Add the Romano cheese and pulse
    • Add the olive oil, in a slow stream as you pulse the mixture until well blended

    Chicken Rollatini

    • Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry with paper towels.
    • Lay breasts flat on cutting board and add about a tablespoon of the arugula pesto on each piece and spread it evenly on one side of the breast, staying away just a bit from the edges.
      *If you can't thinly cut chicken breasts, slice them in half and pound thin with a meat hammer
    • Top with Gorgonzola crumbles.
    • Roll breasts starting at the smaller end until completely rolled up.
    • Dredge finished breast in breadcrumbs to get a light coating.
    • Heat the pan and add olive oil
    • Saute breast seam side down first, then as you turn them, allow them to touch so they do not come unrolled.
    • Saute each side until they are golden brown.
    • Place finished breasts in a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
    • **Be careful not to overcook the breasts, leaving them in the oven to long will dry them out and all of the coconut oil will drain off.
    • Serve with sides of your choice

    Nutrition

    Calories: 485kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 571mg | Potassium: 635mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 367IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 147mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askChefDennis or tag #askChefDennis!

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    About Chef Dennis

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    Chef Dennis Littley is a classically trained chef with over 40 years of experience working in the food service industry. In his second career as a food blogger he has made it his mission to demistify cooking by sharing his time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen. Let Chef Dennis help you bring the joy of cooking into your home. For more details, check out his About page.

    Reader Interactions

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    1. Nancy

      March 11, 2022 at 12:20 pm

      5 stars
      This is delicious! Made just a half of recipe for two per the recipe except for the pesto; I used olive oil since that what I had and EVOO is healthy, too. Next time I will add more Gorgonzola (Used 1.5 TBSP for 3 thin chicken cutlets from about 1/2 lb boneless chicken breast) I did need to use toothpicks to hold the rolls together after the first flip. I served it with a simple arugula salad & slow roasted potato, onion & red pepper in the 350F oven for about an hour. I may also adapt it to a kale/walnut pesto with feta cheese for some variety. Thanks Chef Dennis for another winner!
      (PS – I think in the pesto recipe you meant 1 bunch or ~3 cups of arugula)

      Reply
    2. Michael Toa

      August 01, 2012 at 12:36 pm

      Hi Chef! What a beautiful – and healthy – dish. I just adore all the colours. They’re so vibrant and inviting. And pistachios in pesto instead of pine nuts sounds fab. Must try that next time. Hope you are keeping well.

      Reply
    3. claire @ the realistic nutritionist

      July 31, 2012 at 3:20 pm

      This looks absolutely incredible!!

      Reply
    4. nicole @ I am a Honey Bee

      July 31, 2012 at 1:06 pm

      it was so great to meet you this past weekend!
      Can’t wait to try coconut oil one day.

      Reply
    5. Kimby

      July 31, 2012 at 9:21 am

      Chef Dennis, I hear ya on the cutting back thing… heavy cream and butter have been “staples” for me, too. But, it sounds like you’ve discovered a great alternative and I’m curious to try it. Your Chicken Rollatini is proof positive that you don’t have to sacrifice flavor for healthful eating!

      Reply
    6. Minnie@thelady8home

      July 31, 2012 at 6:27 am

      5 stars
      Hi Chef Dennis, I have awarded you the Illuminating Blogger Award. You truly illuminate our world.

      http://www.thelady8home.com/2012/07/30/how-green-is-my-valley-an-illumnating-award-and-winner-of-blue-ribbon-challenge/

      Reply
    7. anna

      July 31, 2012 at 12:24 am

      i love coconut oil! and that is a very intriguing pesto! love the addition of pistachios.

      Reply
    8. Lynn

      July 30, 2012 at 7:03 pm

      Wouldn’t have though of using coconut oil instead of olive in pesto. Love it! I’ve been using a splash of coconut oil when scrambling eggs. I think your pesto on top would be very nice. Look forward to hearing more about your coconut oil ( and healthier eating) adventures 😉

      Reply
    9. Minnie@thelady8home

      July 30, 2012 at 11:47 am

      In India, the southern cuisine is almost completely based on cooking in coconut oil. And they taste so fabulous. I have never been able to successfully create a coconut oil dish, but this looks heavenly!

      Reply
    10. Betty Ann @Mango_Queen

      July 30, 2012 at 9:43 am

      5 stars
      This is a great recipe & the photos are simply mouthwatering. I’m glad you discovered coconut oil and its benefits. I’ve used coconut oil ALL MY LIFE and actually grew up with it also as a “beauty aid”. You’d be amazed ! Thanks for sharing this. It was great to connect with you again this weekend at The Big Potluck, Chef Dennis!

      Reply
    11. torviewtoronto

      July 30, 2012 at 9:32 am

      looks wonderful delicious combination of flavours

      Reply
    12. RavieNomNoms

      July 30, 2012 at 8:42 am

      This looks fantastic chef!!

      Reply
    13. Jessica | Oh Cake

      July 30, 2012 at 8:24 am

      I really didn’t know coconut oil was that healthy for you! I will definitely need to do my homework as we’re trying to eat better over here, too. All the flavors sound fantastic together!

      Reply
    14. Kayle (The Cooking Actress)

      July 30, 2012 at 8:22 am

      5 stars
      I’ve recently fallen in love with coconut oil, and I love how creatively you used it here! This looks absolutely delicious.

      Reply
    15. Mary

      July 30, 2012 at 8:49 am

      I cook with coconut oil almost every day and I love it. Some varieties are completely flavor and odorless and I love that for some recipes and others leave a fantastic hint of coconut flavor and fragrance. Way to go with yet another fantastic recipe! I hope the potluck with fun this past weekend. I can hardly wait to start hearing about it!

      Reply
    16. Lea Ann (Cooking on the Ranch)

      July 30, 2012 at 7:37 am

      She’s right, it would be nice for you to be alive when you go to Florida. (had to chuckle) And this post is just a couple days late. I just threw out a good portion of a clam shell of arugula thinking I had gotten my money’s worth and not knowing what else to do with it. Next time, I’ll make pesto. And, I have coconut oil in my fridge because someone told me it was great for popping popcorn. I’ll really enjoy your posts and learning more about it. And so interesting that there’s an EV version. This chicken dish looks wonderful Chef.

      Reply
    17. Paula @ Vintage Kitchen

      July 30, 2012 at 8:13 am

      Every starting-to-wilt arugula leaf gets made into pesto at my house. This is a good alternative to the pasta and pesto dinner. Your second paragraph had me laughing out loud!

      Reply
    18. Laura (Tutti Dolci)

      July 29, 2012 at 11:18 pm

      This dish looks so delicious, Chef. I love the arugula pesto and all the fresh veggies you incorporated. Like Jen, I’ve used coconut oil in desserts but never a savory dish. Must try!

      Reply
    19. Jen @JuanitasCocina

      July 29, 2012 at 8:35 pm

      I love cooking with coconut oil. I use it as a substitute for butter in a lot of my baked goods. But, I’ve never went savory. Can’t wait to try this out!

      Reply
    20. Brian @ A Thought For Food

      July 29, 2012 at 8:13 pm

      I’ve just started cooking with coconut oil and I love it. This looks lovely, Dennis!

      So great seeing you this weekend!

      Reply

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    My name is Dennis Littley or "Chef Dennis" as I'm known both at work and across the blogosphere. As a classically trained chef with 40+ years of experience in the kitchen, I share my time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen.

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