Chicken Pesto Pasta – Tender penne tossed with creamy, herby pesto sauce and topped with perfectly seasoned, grilled chicken. This dish makes any weeknight meal special! With its divine taste and minimal prep time, everything about this chicken pesto pasta is a major win!
Pasta with sauce is a lifesaver! I serve them at least once a week at my house, especially on busy weeknights when I’m short on time. They’re easy to put together, endlessly versatile, and appeal to practically everyone’s palate.
However, I get tired of traditional spaghetti, meatballs, and plain old mac and cheese. That’s why I love this chicken pesto pasta. It comes together in record time and uses basic ingredients I always have in my pantry. And it not only tastes out of the ordinary but also out of this world!
What is Pesto?
Pesto is a simple, basil-based sauce from Genoa, Italy. Fresh garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, salt, and Parmesan cheese ramp up the flavor. Some delicious variations use walnuts, sun-dried tomatoes, or kale. It’s traditionally prepared with a mortar and pestle; however, most people nowadays (myself included!) prepare it in a food processor or blender.
Recipe Ingredients
- Pasta – I chose penne pasta, but you can use any short pasta for this recipe.
- Chicken Breast – Boneless, skinless chicken breasts work best. I like to season the chicken with Italian seasoning, but you can opt for just salt and pepper.
- Seasonings – Onions, garlic, and thyme add an extra flavor layer to the sauce. Pepper flakes are optional, but I like the contrast of the spicy pepper flakes with the creamy sauce.
- Flour – I use all-purpose flour to thicken the sauce. You can replace it with your favorite all-purpose gluten-free flour.
- Chicken Broth – Regular or low-sodium broth work equally well. Or you can substitute it with vegetable broth.
- Cream – What can I say? I’m in love with cream. But you can substitute it with half-and-half for a reduced-calorie variation.
- Parmesan – Freshly grated is preferable, but you can use the powdered stuff in a pinch with no problem.
- Pesto – Fresh is best! Try my homemade pesto recipe for an extra special touch. But, hey, I get it. Don’t feel guilty if you need to buy a jar.
How to Make Chicken Pesto Pasta
- Make the Pasta – Boil pasta according to package instructions or until it’s al dente. Drain water, reserving about a cup. Set aside.
- Cook Chicken – Salt the chicken breast, then season with Italian seasoning. Alternatively, use just salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large saucepan or large skillet over medium heat until hot, and then add the chicken and brown for 4-5 minutes on each side to ensure even brownness. Gently remove the chicken and set it aside.
- Sauté – Add butter to the same skillet over medium heat until melted, then add onions, garlic, and thyme. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until the onions wilt.
- Make the Sauce – Whisk in flour, then turn down the heat to medium-low and cook for about a minute. Pour in heavy cream, add chicken broth while whisking, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 3-5 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Add pesto, parmesan cheese, and pepper flakes (optional).
- Mix and Serve – Add cooked pasta to the saucepan and stir to coat. If the sauce is too thick, add the reserved pasta water. Remove from the heat. Serve topped with chicken breast and garnish with fresh chopped basil.
Recipe Variations
- Substitute grilled shrimp, bacon, or sausage for the chicken. Or make this a meatless dish by omitting the chicken and using sauteed portabellas instead.
- Get creative with veggies! You can add mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and sauteed broccoli to the pasta for an extra tasty and healthy meal. Simmering it with spinach or sun-dried tomatoes is also fabulicious!
- Top each dish with pine nuts for visual appeal and an extra touch of flavor and crunch.
Tips and Tricks
- While you can use any pasta, I’ve found short pasta, such as penne, fusilli, or bowtie, work best since they are bite-sized and hold the creamy sauce better than others.
- Although the recipe calls for cooking raw chicken breasts, leftover cooked chicken or even store-bought rotisserie chicken are great time-saving options. Just cut it up into bite-sized pieces and throw it into the pasta until heated!
- If you don’t rinse the pasta after cooking, the increased stickiness helps your pasta soak up more of that delectable sauce!
Make-Ahead Instructions
Creamy pasta dishes are best served fresh. However, you can get a head start on this exquisite dish by cooking the chicken, sauce, and pasta before and storing them separately. Then assemble and reheat it all right before serving. Homemade pesto can be made a week ahead of time.
Serving and Storage Instructions
If you’re fortunate enough to have leftovers, this dish is stored in the fridge for 4 days and reheats beautifully. I recommend reheating it in a saucepan over low heat. You may want to add a splash of milk or chicken broth to keep the sauce creamy.
You can also freeze it for 3-4 months and thaw it in the fridge overnight when you want a quick dinner option.
FAQs
Definitely! Instead of parmesan, give grated mozzarella or fontina a try. Asiago is yummy, too, although it’s slightly sweeter than parmesan.
Pesto tends to be high in calories and fat since the ingredients include nuts, cheese, and olive oil. That said, most of the fat it contains is considered healthier. Additionally, fresh herbs, olive oil, and nuts may have heart health benefits and are full of antioxidants.
Besides being a welcome addition to pasta dishes, pesto can be mixed into dips, put on pizza instead of tomato sauce, or spread on sandwiches or flatbreads. Talk about versatility!
What to Serve With Chicken Pesto Pasta
For a quick dinner, I serve it with fresh, crusty no-knead bread and a simple yet elegant tossed salad or cucumber tomato salad. Or, for a larger crowd, I’ll whip up some homemade garlic bread with sauteed Brussels sprouts and mushrooms on the side.
More Outstanding Pasta Recipes to Try
Love all things pasta? Here are more options for quick and delicious weeknight meals.
- Salmon Pasta
- Taco Pasta
- Creamy Mushroom Pasta
- Spicy Shrimp Spinach Pasta
- Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Patti LaBelle’s Mac and Cheese
Conclusion
With its tantalizing aroma and cheesy, herby flavors, this chicken pesto pasta is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Are you hungry for more time-saving recipes? Sign up for my newsletter to stay up to date.❤️
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”X7vKs6m5″ upload-date=”2022-07-11T16:19:13.000Z” name=”CHICKEN PESTO PASTA revised.mp4″ description=”Chicken Pesto Pasta is tender penne tossed with creamy, herby pesto sauce and topped with perfectly seasoned, grilled chicken. ” player-type=”collapse” override-embed=”false”]
Chicken Pesto Pasta
Would you like to save this?
We’ll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Ingredients
- ½ pound (228g) penne pasta, about 2½ cups
- 2 boneless chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon (2g) Italian seasoning
- 1-2 tablespoons (15-30ml) olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- ½ cup (52g) onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon (1g) thyme, minced
- 2 tablespoons (15g) butter
- 3 tablespoons (25g) flour
- 2½ cups chicken broth
- 1 cup half-and-half, or all milk or cream
- ½ cup Parmesan, freshly grated
- ½ cup pesto, or more to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper flakes
- Fresh basil, for garnish if desired
Instructions
- Boil pasta according to package instructions or al dente. Drain water, reserving about a cup. Set aside.
- Salt chicken breast, then season with Italian seasoning. Or use just salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in a large saucepan or skillet over medium heat until hot, and then add the chicken, brown for 4-5 minutes on each side to ensure even brownness. Gently remove the chicken and set it aside.
- Add butter to the same skillet over medium heat until melted, then add onions, garlic, and thyme. Saute for 2-3 minutes, or just until the onions wilt.
- Whisk in flour, turn the heat to medium-low, and cook for about a minute .
- Pour in heavy cream and chicken broth while whisking. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 3-5 minutes (or until the sauce has reduced and thickened).
- Add pesto, parmesan cheese, and pepper flakes (optional).
- Follow with the cooked pasta and stir to coat. If the sauce is too thick, add the reserved pasta water. Remove from the heat.
- Serve topped with chicken breast and garnish with fresh chopped basil.
Tips & Notes:
- While you can use any pasta, I’ve found short pasta, such as penne, fusilli, or bowtie, work best since they are bite-sized and hold the creamy sauce better than others.
- Although the recipe calls for cooking raw chicken breasts, leftover cooked chicken or even store-bought rotisserie chicken are great time-saving options. Just cut it up into bite-sized pieces and throw it into the pasta until heated!
- If you don’t rinse the pasta after cooking, the increased stickiness helps your pasta soak up more of that delectable sauce!
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Tamera says
This is a great recipie
Didn’t even need to add any salt or pepper. Although did not get the green color but still very very good!
ImmaculateBites says
I’m so glad you liked it. Sometimes the basil in the pesto oxidizes before we can get everything together. A squeeze of lemon juice might help, and some blanch the basil first to keep it green.
MamaMac says
In step six you have a comma between chicken and broth. I read that as add the chicken, and then add broth. I believe you mean to say “add the chicken broth,” I had to fish out the chicken that was boiling
Imma says
I like to toast whole spices, then grind them in a coffee grinder. But you can use all ground spices if you want.