Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta
Chicken pesto pasta with seared chicken and a creamy basil pesto parmesan sauce, ready in 30 minutes. An easy, family-friendly weeknight pasta dinner.
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Chicken Pesto Pasta is my answer to the nights when I want a real dinner but have zero patience for a long ingredient list. Seared bites of chicken get tossed with pasta in a basil pesto sauce loosened with a little cream and parmesan, so it clings to every noodle instead of clumping. It’s green and herby and rich all at once, and it’s on the table in about half an hour.
A spoonful of cream and a handful of parmesan are what turn a jar of pesto into an actual sauce. Straight pesto tossed with hot pasta tends to break and get oily, so the cream emulsifies it into something silky, and the parmesan adds a savory depth that plain pesto lacks. A splash of the starchy pasta water helps it all come together and coat the pasta evenly.
I keep a jar of good store-bought basil pesto in the fridge for exactly this dinner, and it’s what makes this so fast. Sear the chicken while the pasta boils, stir everything together in one skillet, and you’ve got a meal that tastes like more effort than it took.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Big flavor, short list. A jar of pesto does the heavy lifting, so you get bright, herby flavor from just a handful of ingredients.
- A sauce that actually clings. Cream and parmesan turn oily pesto into a silky sauce that coats every noodle.
- Thirty minutes, one skillet. Sear the chicken while the pasta boils and it all finishes in the same pan.
- Good hot or cold. Leftovers make an excellent cold pesto pasta salad for lunch the next day.
Chicken Pesto Pasta Ingredients
Pesto quality carries this dish, so grab a jar you actually like the taste of, usually one from the refrigerated section rather than the shelf-stable aisle. Or use homemade if you have basil to use up. Whatever you’d happily eat off a spoon is what belongs here.
- 1 lb penne or bowtie pasta
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2/3 cup basil pesto
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan, plus more for serving
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
- Fresh basil, for garnish
Recipe Variations
- Skip the cream for a lighter version and just use extra pasta water to loosen the pesto; the sauce will be thinner but still coats well.
- Stir in a couple handfuls of baby spinach or a cup of frozen peas with the pesto for extra vegetables.
- Swap the chicken for shrimp, cooking it just 2-3 minutes per side, or leave the meat out entirely for a meatless meal.
How to Make Chicken Pesto Pasta
- Cook the pasta: Boil the pasta in well-salted water according to the package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain.
- Season and sear the chicken: Pat the chicken dry and season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear the chicken for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and it reaches 165°F in the center. Transfer to a plate.
- Bloom the garlic: Reduce the heat to medium and melt the butter in the same skillet. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant, scraping up any browned bits.
- Build the sauce: Reduce the heat to low and stir in the pesto, heavy cream, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and parmesan until smooth and evenly green.
- Combine: Add the drained pasta and seared chicken and toss to coat, loosening the sauce with a splash of the reserved pasta water until it clings to every piece.
- Add the tomatoes: Stir in the cherry tomatoes if using, just to warm them through.
- Garnish and serve: Top with fresh basil and extra parmesan and serve warm.
Recipe FAQs
Can I Use Store-Bought Pesto?
Absolutely, that’s what makes this a 30-minute dinner. Use a jar you like the taste of, ideally from the refrigerated section, since those tend to taste fresher and greener than the shelf-stable ones.
Do I Have to Add the Cream?
No. The cream makes the sauce silkier and keeps the pesto from breaking, but you can leave it out and use extra pasta water instead for a lighter, more traditional toss.
Can I Use Rotisserie Chicken?
Yes. Skip the searing step and stir in about 3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken with the pasta at the end to warm it through. It’s an easy shortcut on a busy night.
Why Did My Pesto Sauce Turn Oily?
Straight pesto splits when it hits high heat. Keep the pan on low when the pesto goes in, and the cream and a splash of pasta water will emulsify it back into a smooth sauce.
Can I Make This Ahead, and What Goes with It?
It’s great made ahead and eaten cold as a pasta salad. Served hot, it just needs a green salad and some garlic bread or crusty bread alongside.
Cooking Tips
- Add the pesto off high heat. Stirring it into a screaming-hot pan is what makes it separate and go oily, so keep the burner low.
- Save more pasta water than you think you need. Pesto sauces tighten fast as they cool, and a splash of that starchy water brings them right back.
- Grate the parmesan fresh. It melts into the sauce smoothly, where pre-shredded can stay gritty and refuse to blend in.
Storage and Freezing
To store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It’s excellent cold, straight from the container.
To freeze: Freezing isn’t ideal here. The cream can separate and the basil pesto tends to dull and darken once frozen and thawed.
To reheat: Warm gently in a skillet over low heat with a splash of cream or pasta water, stirring often, or eat it cold as a pasta salad.
How to Serve Chicken Pesto Pasta
Chicken Pesto Pasta is filling on its own, but a simple arugula salad with lemon and shaved parmesan is a fresh, peppery match for the herby sauce. Add warm garlic bread or crusty bread to round it out. Leftovers pack up beautifully as a cold lunch. This is one of the recipes in our Pasta Recipes collection, with more easy pasta dinners on the way.
Loved This Recipe?
Chicken Pesto Pasta leans on a good jar of pesto to put a fresh, herby dinner on the table in about 30 minutes.
Leave a star rating in the comments below, it helps other people find this recipe. Made it? Tag @allwellfed on Instagram, I love seeing this one in other people’s kitchens.
More like this: If your family goes for creamy chicken and pasta, these three land in the same happy place. Try Creamy Pesto Chicken, Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta, or Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta.
Chicken Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb penne or bowtie pasta
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts boneless, skinless, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tsp salt divided
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2/3 cup basil pesto
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan plus more for serving
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved, optional
- fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Boil the pasta in well-salted water according to the package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain.
- Season and sear the chicken: Pat the chicken dry and season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear the chicken for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and it reaches 165°F in the center. Transfer to a plate.
- Bloom the garlic: Reduce the heat to medium and melt the butter in the same skillet. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant, scraping up any browned bits.
- Build the sauce: Reduce the heat to low and stir in the pesto, heavy cream, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and parmesan until smooth and evenly green.
- Combine: Add the drained pasta and seared chicken and toss to coat, loosening the sauce with a splash of the reserved pasta water until it clings to every piece.
- Add the tomatoes: Stir in the cherry tomatoes if using, just to warm them through.
- Garnish and serve: Top with fresh basil and extra parmesan and serve warm.
