Recipe Wednesday: Prosciutto-spinach Chicken Roll with Lemon Butter Sauce

Recipe Wednesday was inspired by the Youngrens, California photographers who cook, photograph, and post recipes on periodic Sundays.  Cooking good wholesome food is something that is very important to my wife and I so I’ve decided to start documenting our kitchen adventures.  You’ll see pictures and recipes from books that are quickly becoming our go-to guides.  Hopefully it can give you some ideas for your own kitchen.

Up today is a fabulous chicken recipe from The Gluten-Free Table by Jilly and Jessie Lagasse.  When you really think about it there are a ton of foods that are naturally gluten-free and chicken and spinach are two of them.   We made this recipe for a couple of friends the night of the Downton Abbey Season 3 finale (don’t even get me started on Matthew’s death!!) and it was a big hit.  The photo below is pre-bake.

Prosciutto-Spinach Chicken Roll with Lemon Butter Sauce

1/2 cup ricotta cheese (I found I needed a bit extra)
4 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
1/2 pound prosciutto
1 to 2 cuts spinach leaves, depending on the size of the leaves, washed and patted dry
Olive oil, as needed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease  an 11×8 inch baking dish

2. In a small bowl, stir the ricotta, parsley, salt, and pepper until thoroughly combined.  Set aside.

3. Lay the chicken breasts on a cutting board.  You can pound them one at a time or all at once, depending on the space you have available.  Lay a piece of plastic wrap over the breasts.  Using a meat mallet or a rolling pin, pound each chicken breast until it is approximately the same thickness all over, between 1/3 and 1/4 inch thick.

4. On a separate plastic wrapped cutting board or work surface, lay out 2 or 3 pieces of prosciutto per chicken breasts.

5. Season the chicken with salt and pepper as desired and place each chicken breast on its allotted slices of prosciutto.

6. Using a spatula, spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the breasts, dividing your mixture between your four pieces of chicken.

7. Cover the cheese layer with a single layer of spinach leaves.  The bigger the leaves, the fewer you will need.

8. Gently roll up each breast, being careful to keep as much of the stuffing as you can inside the roll as you go.   Secure with toothpicks or butcher’s twine tided around the roll.

9.Drizzle enough olive oil over the breasts to coat the exterior of the rolls.  Re-season with salt and pepper, if desired.  Place the rolls in the prepared baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes , or until the interior is thoroughly cooked and has attained an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

10.  Make the lemon butter sauce (optional).  When the chicken is 5-10 minutes of baking time remaining, combine the melted butter, lemon zest and lemon juice in a small bowl.  Whisk well to blend.  Set aside.

11. When the chicken rolls are ready, transfer them to serving plates.  Spoon some of the lemon butter over each breast and serve immediately.