One-Pan Roast Chicken with Cherry Tomato & Cannellini Bean Ragu

A one-pan butterflied chicken baked on a bed of cherry tomatoes, cannellini beans, garlic, and herbs — a rustic, Mediterranean-style dinner that’s simple, nourishing, and full of flavour. Serve with rocket pesto and pasta for the perfect weeknight meal.

Category: Autumn, Main, Meal

There’s something deeply satisfying about a dinner that looks impressive but barely asks anything of you. This one-pan butterflied chicken bakes right on top of a garlicky tomato and cannellini bean base, creating its own rich, rustic sauce as it cooks.

The beans soak up all those golden pan juices, the tomatoes burst and sweeten, and everything comes together in the kind of meal that feels both generous and effortless.

A spoonful of peppery rocket pesto at the end adds a bright, green lift that makes every bite sing. Serve it with crusty bread to mop up the sauce, or toss the pesto through pasta for anyone who prefers it on the side (my son included!).

It’s a simple reminder that good food doesn’t need to be complicated — just a handful of honest ingredients, a hot oven, and a little time to bring it all together.

(link: “Get the Rocket Pesto recipe here.”)

Introduction

Juicy chicken, sweet cherry tomatoes, and creamy cannellini beans – all baked in one dish. This one-pot chicken bake is everything I love about weeknight cooking – simple ingredients, big flavour!

One-Pan Roast Chicken with Cherry Tomato & Cannellini Bean Ragu

60 minutes

Cook Mode: OFF

Ingredients

Servings: 4

For the Ragu

2 olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
2 oregano, dried
1 Aleppo pepper flakes or chilli flakes
360 cherry tomatoes, (2 punnets)
1 x 400g tin, cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 miso paste
1 chicken stock

For the Chicken

1 butterflied chicken (or spatchcocked)
1.5 olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 oregano, dried
salt and freshly ground black pepper

To Serve

Rocket pesto (get the recipe [here]) or fresh basil

Directions

Prepare the chicken

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan bake.
Pat the butterflied (spatchcock) chicken dry.
In a small bowl, mix olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Rub the mixture all over the skin, getting into all the nooks and crannies.
Heat a large ovenproof, deep-sided pan (the chicken should sit snugly) over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken, skin side down, for a few minutes until golden. (Skip this step if you are short on time). Set aside.

Make the ragu

In the same pan, over medium heat, cook the shallots in the olive oil for a couple of minutes until soft and translucent (turn heat down if browning).
Add garlic, oregano and Aleppo (or chilli flakes) and stir for a minute until fragrant.
Stir in cherry tomatoes, cannellini beans and miso paste.
Add chicken stock, bring to a simmer and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Combine and bake

Nestle the chicken on top of the ragu, skin side up. Drizzle with a little extra olive oil.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. (Check internal temperature – 75°C is ideal; remove slightly early as it will continue to cook.)

To Serve

Spoon some of the rich tomato-bean sauce over the chicken.
Drizzle with rocket pesto or a scatter of fresh basil or rocket leaves and grated parmesan
Serve straight from the pan with crusty bread — or spaghetti on the side.

Tips

This dish is one of those quietly impressive meals — minimal effort, maximum comfort. You can prepare the tomato-bean base earlier in the day, then just add the chicken when you’re ready to bake. Leftovers make a beautiful lunch the next day with a little extra pesto or a fried egg on top.

Equipment

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Kia ora, and welcome to Māia.

I believe food should be nourishing, joyful, and shared. Māia is about giving you confidence in the kitchen and making the everyday a little more delicious. I’m Colleen, and I’m so glad you’re here

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Tips

This dish is one of those quietly impressive meals — minimal effort, maximum comfort. You can prepare the tomato-bean base earlier in the day, then just add the chicken when you’re ready to bake. Leftovers make a beautiful lunch the next day with a little extra pesto or a fried egg on top.

Equipment

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