Jamie Oliver’s Sheet Pan Chicken Pesto

½ a red onion
5 oz new potatoes
½ a lemon
2 boneless and skinless chicken thigh fillets, preferably higher welfare, or for vegans/vegetarians: ½ x 14 oz can of drained cranberry or white beans
olive oil
extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
a few sprigs of fresh basil
4.5 oz ripe cherry tomatoes
0.5 oz arugula or other mixed salad leaves

For the nut-free pesto:
This will make more pesto than you need, so you could make as a class or in groups
2 oz pumpkin or sunflower seeds
½ a clove of garlic
1 bunch of fresh basil (1 oz)
2 oz finely grated Parmesan cheese (omit for vegetarians and vegans)
½ a lemon

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Peel and roughly dice the onion and quarter the potatoes, then put them all in a small roasting pan.

3. Add a few gratings of lemon zest and squeeze in half the juice.

4. Add the chicken, drizzle everything with ½ tablespoon of olive oil and a small pinch of salt and black pepper, then mix everything together, shaking the dish into an even layer. Put in the oven for 30 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, make the nut-free pesto. Lightly toast the pumpkin or sunflower seeds for 1 to 2 minutes in a dry frying pan, then tip into a food processor.

6. Peel the garlic and add that too, pick in the basil leaves, then add the grated Parmesan (if using), ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, a good squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt, and blitz until a fairly fine consistency.

7. Taste the pesto, and keep adding a bit more cheese, if using, oil or lemon juice until you are super happy with the taste and consistency. Set aside while you get on with the chicken.

8. Halve the cherry tomatoes, pick half the basil leaves, then add both to the roasting pan and return to the oven for 10 more minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

9. To make a lemon dressing for the arugula, squeeze ½ a teaspoon of lemon juice from the remaining lemon into a bowl, stir in 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and black pepper.

10. Remove the dish from the oven, dot over 1 tablespoon of the pesto and scatter over the remaining basil leaves.

11. Toss the arugula in a little of the lemon dressing and serve alongside.