Sheet Pan Pesto Chicken with Asparagus Tomatoes and Walnuts

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup Fishers Walnuts Halves and Pieces
• 1/4 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into 1-inch pieces
• 1 lb asparagus, don't use thick spears, tough ends trimmed and discarded remaining diced into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 pint fresh grape tomatoes
• 1/2 cup Fishers Walnuts Halves and Pieces

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. To make the pesto, combine the basil leaves, 1/4 cup walnuts, parmesan and garlic in a food processor, then pulse until the mixture is roughly chopped. Pour in the olive oil, add salt and pepper to taste, and pulse again until the pesto is finely chopped and blended. Set it aside.
2. Prepare a rimmed 18 by 13-inch baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or coating it with non-stick cooking spray. Add the chicken and asparagus to the pan, then drizzle with 1/4 cup of the basil pesto. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss until everything is coated. Arrange it in a single, even layer, making sure the chicken pieces are not stacked or touching too much, then roast for 10 minutes.
3. Take the pan out of the oven. If there is extra liquid in the pan, carefully tip it toward one corner and pour it off, using a spatula to hold the chicken and vegetables in place. Add the tomatoes, toss everything together, and put the pan back in the oven. Roast until the chicken is fully cooked, with any larger pieces reaching 165 degrees in the center, about 8 – 12 minutes more.
4. Remove the pan from the oven, add another 1/4 cup of the pesto, and toss to coat, or add that 1/4 cup directly to individual servings instead. Sprinkle in the walnuts. Serve right away with more pesto if desired, or refrigerate the remaining pesto for another use; it can be frozen also.