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Baked Pesto Drumsticks with Balsamic-Roasted Asparagus & Tomatoes, plated

Mealime recipe · lives on in MealPot

Baked Pesto Drumsticks with Balsamic-Roasted Asparagus & Tomatoes

  • 35 min
  • 2–6 servings
  • 663 kcal / serving

Juicy pesto-coated chicken pairs with tender asparagus and bursting grape tomatoes for a balanced weeknight dinner. The sheet-pan method keeps prep simple and cleanup easy, delivering textures and flavors without fuss.

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Baked

Ingredients

  • 1 small bunchasparagus
  • 15 mlbalsamic vinaigrette
  • ¼ cupbasil pesto
  • 1 ¼ lbchicken drumsticks
  • 1 pintgrape tomatoes

From the pantry: black pepper, salt

Cookware

baking sheet pan · chef's knife · colander · cutting board · measuring cups · measuring spoons · oven mitts · tongs

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
  2. On a baking sheet, coat the chicken with pesto and season with salt and pepper, then arrange the pieces in a single layer.
  3. Bake the chicken in the oven, turning once, until cooked through, about 30–35 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, rinse and dry the asparagus, trim the woody ends, and place them on a second baking sheet.
  5. Rinse the tomatoes and add them to the sheet with the asparagus. Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper; toss to coat and spread evenly.
  6. Roast the vegetables in the oven, tossing halfway through, until the asparagus is fork-tender and the tomatoes begin to burst, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven.
  7. Plate by dividing the chicken and vegetables between two plates and serve when ready.

Two tips

  • Make-ahead: pre-assemble the pesto-coated chicken and refrigerate up to 4 hours before cooking.
  • Serving idea: drizzle a little extra balsamic vinaigrette over the finished plate or serve with crusty bread from the pantry.

Nutrition per serving

Calories
663 kcal
Protein
59 g
Carbs
14 g
Fat
41 g
Fiber
5 g
Sodium
575 mg

Estimates from the recipe's published nutrition data; they change with the version you pick above.

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Ingredient quantities, timing and nutrition are recorded from the original Mealime recipe ↗ (captured 2026-09-12). Photo: MealPot, an AI-rendered illustration of the finished dish. Description and directions written by MealPot.

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