Pesto Stuffed Chicken Breasts

“Every year my husband and I plant basil in our garden. Home-made pesto is a staple in our kitchen and a wonderful ingredient to pair with AVV Estate Chardonnay.”
– Lu Hughes, AVV Wine Club Director

Ingredients for Stuffing:
¼ cup toasted pine nuts
1 lb. spinach, 2 bunches
2 Tbsp. butter
3 medium shallots, finely chopped
½ cup ricotta cheese
¼ cup pesto sauce
Black pepper
3 whole chicken breasts (skinned, boned, halved and flattened)
3 slices of prosciutto
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Ingredients for Sauce:
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup chicken stock
¾ cup AVV Chardonnay
½ cup whipping cream
½ lb. mushrooms

Method of Preparation for Stuffing:
Remove spinach stems and rinse leaves thoroughly. Put spinach in a skillet and steam spinach over medium heat until wilted, partially covered. Remove from pan and wrap spinach in a towel and squeeze out the water, chop medium fine. Heat butter in small skillet and add shallots and sauté until soft.

Mix pine nuts, spinach, shallots with ricotta and pesto. Taste for seasoning. Put a slice of prosciutto on each chicken breast half. Spread filling on each chicken breast half fold and place in buttered baking dish. Spoon melted butter and lemon juice over chicken. Bake chicken, basting occasionally with juices in pan, for 30 minutes or until tender at 375°. Remove chicken to platter and cover to keep warm.

Method of Preparation for Sauce:
In medium skillet heat butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sauté for 3 minutes. Remove mushrooms and set aside. Add chicken stock to skillet and cook until reduced to ¼ cup. Add AVV Chardonnay and reduce to ¾ cup. Add whipping cream and cook until slightly thick. Return mushrooms to skillet.

When chicken is done, remove from baking dish and keep warm. Remove juices from the baking dish and add to the sauce. Raise heat to medium high and bring to a boil stirring. Taste for seasoning. To serve, arrange chicken breasts on platter and pass sauce separately.