Ricotta and Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts
The Ricotta and spinach stuffed chicken is an incredibly easy recipe that combines 3 simple ingredients topped with parmesan cheese and broiled in the oven.
Equipment
- Oven-safe cast iron skillet
- Toothpicks
- Sieve
- Kitchen tongues
Ingredients
- 2 or 3 chicken breasts butterfly opened
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 8 oz spinach leaves
- 1 cup parmigiano reggiano cheese or parmesan grated and divided
- Extra virgin olive oil to taste
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- ½ cup white wine optional
- ½ cup chicken stock optional
Instructions
- Bring a large saute pan over medium heat. Once hot, add a drizzle of olive oil and add the spinach. Cook until wilten for about 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and transfer to a sieve. With the back of a spoon, carefully press to remove excess of water. Chop roughly and reserve.
- Preheat the oven to 392F/200C.
- To a large bowl, combine the ricotta, spinach, ½ cup of parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Mix with a spoon ultil combined.
- Place the chicken breasts into a clean chopping board. Add a spoon of the ricotta and spinach stuffing into each breast. Fold over to close it up using toothpicks. Alternatively, you can roll up tightly with a butcher's twine. Make sure to close it well to avoid filling leaking.
- Bring a cast iron skillet or any oven-safe pan over medium heat. Once hor, add a drizzle of olive oil and place the chicken breasts. Sear it well on both sides, about 2 to 3 minutes each.
- Slowly pour the white wine and cook for 2 more minutes to evaporate the alcohol.
- Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Add chicken stock on top of the chicken breasts to moisten if you want.
- Remove from the oven carefully, add the grated cheese on top of each chicken roll up and return to the oven to broil for 5 minutes.
Video
Notes
- The wine and chicken stock are optionals, you can use one or another, or both. It brings complexity of flavours and moisten the chicken.
- You can substitute the parmigiano cheese for any hard or melting cheese of your choice. Avoid strong-flavoured cheeses like gorgonzola and provolone.