Sage Pesto-Rubbed Roast Chicken

Ingredients

Pesto

• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh sage
• 1/3 cup reduced-sodium fat-free chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, toasted
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled

Chicken

• 1 (7 lb)  roasting chickens
• cooking spray

Directions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 450°.

2. 2

   To prepare pesto, combine first 7 ingredients in a blender or food processor; process until smooth.

3. 3

   To prepare chicken, remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken. Rinse chicken with cold water; pat dry.

4. 4

   Trim excess fat. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat.

5. 5

   Rub pesto under loosened skin and over breast and drumsticks. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under chicken.

6. 6

   Place chicken, breast side up, on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; bake at 450° for 30 minutes.

7. 7

   Reduce oven temperature to 350° (do not remove chicken from oven); bake an additional 1 1/2 hours or until a thermometer registers 180°.

8. 8

   Let stand 10 minutes. Discard skin.