{"id":14,"date":"2026-06-19T21:27:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T21:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/platesfortwo.com\/?p=14"},"modified":"2026-06-19T21:27:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T21:27:00","slug":"14","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/platesfortwo.com\/?p=14","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u00a0Crispy Panko Chicken with Green Pesto Pasta<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Broccoli, Pea & Rocket, Chilli Heat, Lemon Lift)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0Good evening, lovely readers\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tonight\u2019s recipe is\u2026 well, a little bit later than usual.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And this, my friends, is entirely because of one person\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mary!!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mary and her magic.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My dear friend from America, who has been visiting the UK but is now heading back to what is probably one of the best cities I\u2019ve ever been to \u2014 New York.
(And yes\u2026 one of the best<\/em>, don\u2019t get confused \u2014 I\u2019m not picking favourites here <\/strong>)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So Mary\u2026 this one is for you.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 How this recipe came to life<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might be wondering how today\u2019s recipe came about.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Honestly? It was simple.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was about 25 degrees today where I live \u2014 warm, sunny, blue skies. One of those days where you don\u2019t feel like eating much, especially when work gets in the way.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And yet\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That didn\u2019t stop me from doing what I always do:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 opening the fridge
<\/strong> staring into it
<\/strong> closing it
<\/strong> opening it again 10 minutes later<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even though I knew exactly what was inside.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Why do we all do that?! <\/strong>)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then\u2026 it came to me.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had two ingredients I needed to use, and suddenly everything just clicked into place:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 crispy, thin chicken breast
<\/strong> coated in golden panko breadcrumbs, almost katsu-style
<\/strong> paired with a fresh, vibrant green pesto<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And just like that \u2014 the idea was there.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A plate that is:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

crispy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

creamy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

fresh<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

slightly spicy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

balanced<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Plates for Two \u2014 always the goal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And as always\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a recipe for two plates.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 No waste
<\/strong> Proper portions
<\/strong> Full flavour<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A dish that feels:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

rich<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

satisfying<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

but still balanced<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Something you\u2019ll want to come back to again and again.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 Ingredients (for two)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0Crispy Chicken<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chicken breast \u2013 300 g (thin sliced)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 egg<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Panko breadcrumbs \u2013 55 g<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vegetable oil \u2013 30 ml<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Salt \u2013 \u00be tsp<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Black pepper \u2013 \u00bd tsp<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00a0Pasta & Greens<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pasta \u2013 150 g<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Broccoli \u2013 150 g<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frozen peas \u2013 100 g<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rocket \u2013 35 g<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00a0Green Pesto<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cooked broccoli & peas \u2013 150 g<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 garlic clove<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parmesan \u2013 15 g<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Olive oil \u2013 20 ml<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pasta water \u2013 30\u201350 ml<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lemon zest \u2013 \u00bd ts<\/strong>p<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chilli flakes \u2013 a pinch<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Salt & pepper<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

\u00a0To Finish<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shaved parmesan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Optional drizzle of olive oil<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 Let\u2019s cook this together<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1\ufe0f<\/strong>\u20e3 Start with the base<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bring salted water to a boil.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cook your pasta.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0Now here\u2019s the important part:
With about 3\u20134 minutes left, add:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

broccoli<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

peas<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This builds natural sweetness and texture without needing cream.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2\ufe0f<\/strong>\u20e3 Make your pesto<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blend together:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

broccoli + peas<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

rocket<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

garlic<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

parmesan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

olive oil<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

lemon zest<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

chilli<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Add a bit of pasta water gradually.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0What are you looking for?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

smooth<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

fresh<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

lightly loose<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

slightly peppery and warm<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taste it. Adjust it. Make it yours.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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3\ufe0f<\/strong>\u20e3 Crispy chicken (this is your texture moment)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Season your chicken.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dip: <\/strong> egg \u2192 panko<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Press the breadcrumbs in properly.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cook in oil, medium heat:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4 minutes first side (don\u2019t touch it!)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4 minutes second side<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0What you want:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

golden crust<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

crisp texture<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

juicy inside<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let it rest before slicing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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4\ufe0f<\/strong>\u20e3 Bring the pasta together<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mix pasta with pesto.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Add a touch of pasta water if needed.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0Look for:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

glossy coating<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

not dry<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

not heavy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 Plating<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take your time here \u2014 this matters.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pasta first<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Slice or leave the chicken as a whole and place on top<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finish with:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

parmesan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

black pepper<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

optional olive oil<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Optional: Add a squeeze of lemon at the end \u2014 it lifts everything beautifully.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 Final thoughts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And this, my friends, is a plate full of contrast:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

crispy chicken<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

soft, creamy pasta<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

fresh, light pesto<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

gentle heat in the background<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Balanced, but never boring.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you\u2019ve made it this far \u2014 thank you.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I truly hope you try this.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But more importantly\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 I hope you make it your own.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe you don\u2019t have all the ingredients.
Maybe you adjust something.
Maybe you discover something new along the way.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because cooking isn\u2019t about strict rules or sticking to one cuisine.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s about:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

curiosity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

instinct<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

and enjoying the process<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And for me?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t want my plate to say: <\/strong> \u201cItalian\u201d
<\/strong> \u201cPolish\u201d
<\/strong> \u201cMexican\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I want it to say:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis just works.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And maybe even surprise me a little every time.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 Plates for Two \u2014 where flavour, instinct, and a bit of chaos in the kitchen come together.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0Crispy Panko Chicken with Green Pesto Pasta (Broccoli, Pea & Rocket, Chilli Heat, Lemon Lift) \u00a0Good evening, lovely readers\u00a0 Tonight\u2019s recipe is\u2026 well, a little bit later than usual. And this, my friends, is entirely because of one person\u2026 Mary!! Mary and her magic. My dear friend from America, who has been visiting the UK […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,3,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-eating-for-two","category-food","category-recipes"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/platesfortwo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/platesfortwo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/platesfortwo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platesfortwo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platesfortwo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/platesfortwo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16,"href":"https:\/\/platesfortwo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14\/revisions\/16"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/platesfortwo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platesfortwo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platesfortwo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}