Grilled Stuffed Chicken Breast (Petti Di Pollo Ripieni) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 head garlic, cloves separated
1 small bunch fresh rosemary sprig
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for grill pan
4 ounces scamorza cheese or 4 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/8-inch cubes
2 1/2 ounces fresh ricotta cheese (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup roasted red pepper, finely chopped (from a jar)
1/4 cup fresh basil leaf, thinly sliced
4 (8 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
coarse sea salt
fresh ground black pepper

Preparation

Heat oven to 375\u00b0. Combine garlic cloves and 2 short rosemary sprigs in a 1/2-quart ovenproof saucepan; cover with oil. Bake until garlic cloves are tender and lightly golden, about 35 minutes.
Meanwhile, stir together scamorza or smoked mozzarella, ricotta, roasted pepper and basil in a medium bowl. Using a small sharp knife and working with 1 chicken breast at a time, cut a 2-inch-long slit horizontally into 1 side of chicken breast. Move knife back and forth in slit to form pocket. Divide cheese mixture among chicken pockets. Press edges to seal. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
Brush grill pan with oil and heat over medium-high heat. Grill chicken until golden on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer chicken to a baking dish and bake until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes.
Let chicken stand 5 minutes, then transfer to a serving dish. Remove garlic oil from oven. Garnish chicken with baked garlic cloves, and baked and fresh rosemary sprigs. Serve with garlic oil for drizzling.