Grilled Caprese Chicken with Arugula Pesto

The classic Italian Caprese salad is one of my favorites, with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, and some good olive oil and a bit of salt to top it off. I decided to turn this salad into a main dish by basically building an updated version of a caprese salad on top of a grilled chicken breast. Here’s how to make this simple but tasty dish!

Floating in our pool is a daily event for Laurie and me – it’s a great way to cool off or just enjoy the nice warm and sunny weather on a lazy weekday afternoon. It’s also become the place where I brainstorm potential blog posts with Laurie, along with potential new recipes as well.

Every summer we filled up our freezer with things like chicken, pork, and steaks before Hurricane season starts so have plenty of food after a hurricane hits in the event the grocery stores are closed after the storm. While floating in the pool one afternoon, we started talking about what to do with all of that protein and in particular, all the chicken we stocked up on once hurricane season is over.

For some reason, I was thinking about caprese salad and wondered how that might taste on top of a grilled chicken breast. I mean, what could be tastier than grilled chicken topped with tomatoes, basil, and melted fresh mozzarella? But that sounded kind of pedestrian to me, so I started thinking about alternatives and additions to the traditional caprese salad. One was to create a pesto instead of just using basil leaves, but I went one better and decided I would make an arugula pesto instead of the traditional basil pesto to mellow things out a bit. Then, I added prosciutto to give the dish a deeper flavor. Finally, Laurie suggested topping everything with some aged balsamic vinegar – brilliant!

We decided to make dual use out of the pesto by serving the chicken breast over pasta tossed with the leftover arugula pesto which turned out to be fantastic, but a simple side salad would be a great accompaniment as well. I guarantee you this dish will transport you back to the island of Capri, where the famous salad was created! Buon appetito!

Grilled Caprese Chicken with Arugula Pesto (Serves 4)

This light and tasty dish turns the classic caprese salad into a main dish and updates it to a new level with the homemade arugula pesto. Brining the chicken in buttermilk ensures a moist, juicy chicken breast. Also, you can grill the chicken and make the arugula pesto earlier in the day if you’d like – just place a thin layer of olive oil on top of the pesto and cover with plastic wrap to keep it from discoloring. Serve with a bright, light Italian white wine from the Capri region, such as Falanghina del Sannio or Greco di Tufo.

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 5-6 oz. each), each pounded to about ½ inch thick

1 cup buttermilk

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 cup arugula pesto (see recipe below)

2-3 Roma tomatoes, cored and sliced ¼ inch thick (you’ll need 8 slices total)

2 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto

8 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced ¼ inch thick

Aged balsamic vinegar for drizzling (our favorite is Cucina & Amore Aceto Balsamico De Moderna, about $35 for 8.5 oz.)

Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions

Place the chicken breasts along with the buttermilk in a zip-lock bag and refrigerate for at least two hours, and up to 8 hours. When ready to grill the chicken, turn all burners of your grill to high and heat for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, wipe the buttermilk off of the chicken breasts and dry with paper towels. Rub the breasts with the oil and salt and pepper both sides. Place the chicken on the grill and cook for 4-5 minutes until nicely browned. Turn the chicken over and grill for another 4-5 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breasts registers 155 degrees. Remove from the grill, turn off one burner on the grill, and close the lid to reheat the grill.

Spread each chicken breast with 1 ½ tbsp. of the arugula pesto. Then top with a slice of prosciutto, sliced tomatoes, and the fresh mozzarella. Return the chicken to the grill by placing each breast on the side of the grill with the burners off. Close the lid and continue cooking until the mozzarella melts. Remove from the grill and drizzle with the aged balsamic before serving.

Homemade Arugula Pesto (Makes about 1 cup)

This is a nice alternative to the traditional basil-based pesto, which can be a bit strong and overpowering to some people. Arugula lends a milder, peppery note without the anise flavor when basil is used. I also substitute toasted walnuts for the traditional toasted pine nuts which give the pesto a richer, nuttier flavor. You can make this ahead and store covered in a refrigerator for up to 3 days, but don’t forget to drizzle olive oil on the top first to keep the pesto from discoloring.

Ingredients

2 ½ cups packed baby arugula

¼ cup toasted and chopped walnuts

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

½ tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Place the arugula, walnuts, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese into a food processor and pulse about 10 times until fully integrated. With processor running, slowly add the olive oil until fully incorporated. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. If not using immediately, store covered in a refrigerator until ready to use.