Hasselback chicken with spicy tomato and mozzarella

We took inspiration from the popular Hasselback potatoes to turn the most common chicken breasts into a festive dish: today we are preparing Hasselback Chicken with tomato and mozzarella with spicy tomato sauce . In other words, chicken breasts stuffed with the most intense flavours of Italy. Delicious.

Preparing it requires just a moment of love. You'll see what a handy recipe! And if the chicken with vegetables is delicious, the spicy tomato sauce adds intensity to each bite, which keeps the chicken succulent and tender throughout the preparation.

We cook it in the oven, and to do so we use one of the most versatile trays from Le Creuset, the collection

Ingredients

For the spicy tomato sauce

• 1400 g of canned chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp herb mix
• 2 cc chili paste
• 2 cc of garlic puree
• 1 cc sweet smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp caramelized onion chutney
• 75 g cherry tomatoes, halved

For the chicken

• 4 skinless chicken breasts
• 1 ball of mozzarella
• 8 pieces of dried tomatoes
• 2 tbsp green pesto
• Freshly ground black pepper

To accompany

• Fresh basil leaves

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C
2. First, prepare the tomato sauce base. Place all the sauce ingredients into the Le Creuset Ovenware baking tray and stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. To prepare the Hasselback chicken, place the breasts on a cutting board and, being careful not to go all the way through, make four even slits in each breast.
4. Cut the mozzarella into 16 equal parts and cut the sun-dried tomatoes in half lengthwise.
5. Using a small spoon, spoon a small amount of pesto into each slit of the chicken before adding a piece of mozzarella and sun-dried tomato. Repeat until all the slits are filled. Transfer the chicken to the roasting tray and season with freshly ground black pepper.
6. Roast for 25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Just before serving, place a basil leaf on each slit.

Cooking notes

• The perfect accompaniment to this dish is a fresh salad with basil. Dress with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon, and finish with toasted pine nuts.