Chicken & Red Pesto Risotto
with Lemon & Parmesan
- Milk
- Almond
- Wheat
- Gluten
- Soy
- May contain traces of allergens
- Eggs
- Traces of Cashew
- Walnut
- Macadamia
Pop on your uggies, pull out your favourite blanket and get super cosy with the ultimate autumn comfort dish. With tender chicken and punchy red pesto, there's no way you won’t fall in love with this risotto. The current labour shortages have impacted availability of ingredients across the entire food supply chain. As such, what you receive may be slightly different to what’s pictured. Don’t worry, your recipe will be just as delicious!
Ingredients
½
onion
2 clove
garlic
1 bag
zucchini
1 packet
chicken breast
1 packet
arborio rice
(May be present: Wheat, Gluten, Soy)
1 sachet
chicken-style stock powder
1 bag
mixed leaves
½
lemon
1 packet
grated Parmesan cheese
(Contains: Milk)
1 packet
red pesto
(Contains: Milk, Almond May be present: Eggs, Cashew, Walnut, Macadamia)
Not included in your delivery
olive oil
2 cup
water
¼ tsp
salt
20 g
butter
(Contains: Milk)
Utensils
Cooking Steps
Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan-forced. Finely chop onion (see ingredients). Finely chop garlic. Thinly slice zucchini into half-moons. Cut chicken breast into 2cm chunks.
Little cooks: Don your goggles and help peel off the onion's outer layer!
In a large frying pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil over high heat. Cook onion and chicken until chicken is slightly golden, 3-4 minutes. Add arborio rice and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add zucchini, the water, the salt and chicken-style stock powder. Bring to the boil and cook, stirring, until combined, 2 minutes.
Transfer risotto to a baking dish, then cover tightly with foil. Bake until liquid is absorbed and rice is ‘al dente’, 24-28 minutes.
While the risotto is baking, roughly chop mixed leaves. Zest lemon to get a good pinch, then slice into wedges.
When the risotto is ready, stir through mixed leaves until wilted. Stir through grated Parmesan cheese, red pesto, lemon zest, a squeeze of lemon juice and the butter. If needed, stir through a splash of water. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Little cooks: Lend a hand by squeezing over some lemon juice (be careful, the baking dish is hot!).
Divide the chicken and red pesto risotto between bowls. Serve with any remaining lemon wedges.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on July 2026- Flavour: The red pesto and lemon combination was a highlight for many, delivering a punchy, creamy risotto. Some found the flavour mild; adding extra cheese, seasoning, or a splash of white wine helped boost it.
- Ease of prep: Most found this straightforward and quick to pull together, with the oven-bake method praised for removing the need for constant stirring.
- Suggestions: Some reviewers recommended using chicken thighs instead of breast to retain moisture, and removing the chicken once browned before returning it at the end to prevent it drying out. A few found the rice turned mushy and suggested checking it a few minutes before the recommended time and reducing the water slightly.
- Leftovers: Several customers noted the recipe made generous portions, with plenty left over for lunch the next day.
- Portions: Many found the dish made well beyond two serves, with some feeding up to four people comfortably.
- Vegetable: Zucchini divided opinion — some felt it cooked down to mush and suggested swapping it for a firmer vegetable; others enjoyed it as a way to sneak in extra veg.
