Basil Pesto Wings

More wings.  I am not a fan of wings, but my husband, Jeff, could eat his weight in them.  So whenever I know I’m going to be out, I make them for him.  And even though I am not a big fan of eating them, making wings gives me the chance to experiment. So win-win.

Jeff loves basil and I have a bunch of it on hand, as it grows like a weed.  So I decided to make some pesto and give my love (Jeff) two of his (wings and basil.)  When I first made them, I did not toss them in any sauce.  Jeff said they were a tad dry, so I tweaked the recipe a little.  Success.

Servings:  Dozen wings

Hardware:  Kitchen scissors, measuring spoons and cups, a large plastic container with a lid, tongs, a baking sheet, a cooling rack (or foil), a sauce pot, a garlic press, wooden spoon
Time: Prep-10 minutes, Marinate-4-6 hours, Cook-50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 dozen wings
• ¼ cup basil pesto
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons light olive oil
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan
• Cooking spray

Basil Pesto Wings

1. Use the kitchen scissors to separate the flaps from the drummettes.  Also snip the points from the flaps.
2. Place the chicken in the plastic container.  Add the basil pesto and Italian seasoning.  Shake like crazy to coat the wings.
3. Preheat the oven to 400°
4. Place the cooling rack over the baking sheet.  If you don’t have a cooling rack, just line the baking dish with foil.  Spray liberally with cooking spray.
5. Lay the wings in a single layer on the cooling rack place in the oven.  Cook for 20 minutes. Flip and roast for 20 more. If you prefer crispier wings turn the broiler on for 5 minutes or so. Make sure to monitor them so they don't burn. Turn the oven off and leave in the warm oven for 10 minutes.
6. Discard the pesto.
7. While the chicken is cooking, place the butter, olive oil, and pressed garlic in the sauce pot.  Heat on medium, stirring until the butter is completely melted.
8. Remove the wings from the oven and drizzle with the garlic mixture. Sprinkle with grated parmesan.  Serve warm.