Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta is the ultimate one-pot dinner hero—creamy, flavorful, and ready in under 30 minutes. My version is packed with tender chicken, herby pesto, and a luscious sauce that clings to every bite. It’s a total keeper for busy weeknights or anytime you need a satisfying meal without the mess.
My family loves pasta. We have it a lot which means I need a lot of great recipes. Here are two of our favorites: creamy pasta with bacon and lentil pasta.
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Why this Pesto Chicken Pasta Recipe is a Keeper
This pesto pasta with chicken recipe hits all the marks for a family-friendly, foolproof meal.
- Quick and Easy: Many variations of this recipe come together in 30 minutes or less, making it ideal for busy weeknights. You can make homemade basil pesto recipe or use store bought.
- One-Pot Wonder: Chicken and pesto pasta cooks in a single pot—less cleanup, more convenience.
- Flavorful: Pesto, whether homemade or store-bought, delivers a vibrant, herbaceous, and savory punch that coats the chicken and pasta beautifully.
- Versatile: It’s highly adaptable to different ingredients you might have on hand or dietary preferences.
- Satisfying: The combination of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats makes it a complete and fulfilling meal.
- Family-Friendly: Pesto is generally well-liked, and most people enjoy pasta and juicy chicken breast, making it a crowd-pleaser.
Can I Use Frozen Pesto in the Chicken Pesto Pasta?
Sure. Be aware the texture may not be the same as with fresh pesto, and you may need to add a couple more minutes to the cook time.
Pro Tip to Make this Recipe
If using refrigerated pesto, allow it to come to room temperature slightly or gently warm it with a little reserved pasta water before tossing with the hot pasta and chicken. This helps it coat everything more evenly.
Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta Ingredient Notes
This basil pesto chicken pasta uses simple ingredients that are easy to find or already in your pantry and perfect for a quick meal.
Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Pesto: Store-bought pesto is totally fine—just choose one with good flavor. Homemade creamy pesto sauce works too!
- Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken breasts work well. You can also use chicken thighs, just adjust cooking time for doneness.
- Heavy Cream: Gives the creamy sauce richness; half and half or a dairy-free cream can be swapped.
- Parmesan Cheese: Use freshly grated for the best flavor and melt.
- Type of Pasta: Short pasta like rotini or penne pasta is absolutely perfect hold the sauce best; use gluten-free if needed.
Variations and Substitutions for Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta
This recipe is super flexible—here’s how to switch things up:
- Swap the Protein: Try shrimp, salmon or Italian sausage for a twist. You could also use tofu, white beans or chickpeas for a vegan option
- Vegetables: Try fire roasted cherry tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, peas or asparagus are all great in this pasta. Be sure to add towards the end of cooking.
- Finish: Use fresh lemon zest or a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
- Use Dairy-Free Cream: Coconut milk or vegan cream alternatives work in place of dairy.
- Try a Different Pesto: Sun-dried tomato or pine nut and arugula pesto give this a whole new vibe to the pasta sauce.
How to Make Chicken Pesto Pasta
This pasta with pesto chicken recipe comes together in just 3 easy to follow steps. This creamy pasta is so easy and delicious, I come back to them again and again.
Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Sear and Add the Chicken: Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Add chicken and sear each side in some olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
- Add the Veggies: When chicken has seared add the shallot sand cook until translucent. Then add the garlic, chicken broth and pesto. Bring everything to a simmer.
- Cook the Pasta: Add the pasta and cook until al dente. When done, add the half and half and the parmesan.
Prep Ahead Suggestions for Chicken Pesto Pasta Recipe
Get dinner on the table even faster with a few make-ahead steps.
- Make Pesto in Advance: If using homemade pesto sauce, prepare it up to 3-4 days ahead and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. A thin layer of olive oil on top can prevent browning. You can even freeze homemade basil pesto for up to a few months.
- Cook Chicken Ahead: Cook and shred or dice your chicken breasts (or thighs) in advance. Store cooked chicken in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. This is perfect for using leftover rotisserie chicken.
- Chop Vegetables: If adding vegetables like sun-dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, or broccoli, chop them ahead of time.
- Portion Ingredients: Measure out your pasta, pesto, and any other seasonings into separate containers so you can simply combine and cook when ready.
Alternate Cooking Methods for this Pasta Dish
This dish is best one-pot on the stovetop, but there are options.
- Instant Pot: Sauté chicken, then cook pasta on high pressure for 4 minutes with a quick release. Stir in cream and cheese at the end.
- Slow Cooker: Cook chicken and sauce in the slow cooker, then stir in cooked pasta just before serving.
How to Store, Reheat and Use Leftover Tender Chicken Pasta
Make a big batch—leftovers are just as good!
- Storing: Keep leftover creamy chicken pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: Warm gently on the stove or in the microwave with a splash of cream or milk to keep it saucy.
- Using Leftovers: Serve as-is, or turn into a baked pasta by topping with cheese and baking at 350°F until bubbly.
Common Questions to Love this Recipe
As long as you are stirring periodically, the pasta shouldn’t stick much. Alternatively, you can cook the pasta in another pot and add the cooked pasta in at the end. Add some pasta cooking water to help sauce stick.
You can! Let it cool completely, then freeze in portions. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat with added cream or broth.
Expert Tips for Making Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta
- Salt the Pasta Water: This is crucial for flavorful pasta. The water should taste like the sea.
- Reserve Pasta Water: Before draining your pasta, reserve about 1/2 to 1 cup of the starchy cooking water. This can be added to the sauce to help emulsify it, create a creamier consistency, and help the pesto cling to the pasta.
- Don’t Overcook the Pasta: Cook al dente pasta for the best texture, especially if you plan on reheating leftovers.
- Don’t Overcook the Chicken: Cook the chicken just until it’s no longer pink and cooked through (internal temperature of 165°F) to maintain juicy chicken.
- Use Quality Pesto: Whether homemade or store-bought, good quality pesto makes a significant difference in the final taste. Refrigerated pestos are generally better than shelf-stable jarred ones.
- Freshly Grated Parmesan: Always opt for freshly grated Parmesan cheese over pre-shredded or canned varieties for superior flavor and meltability.
- Serve this Recipe With: Serve with Bacon and Cream Cheese Stuffed Celery, Sausage Vegetable White Sauce Lasagna or Pesto Tuna Fish Patties.
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Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta
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Ingredients
- 4 thin Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 1 Shallot , chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 4 cups Chicken broth
- 4 Tablespoons Pesto, divided
- 1 pound Pasta
- 1 cup Half and half
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
- Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper and chop into one-inch strips.
- Sear chicken on each side in skillet. It does not need to be cooked through at this point.
- Once chicken is seared, add shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes until translucent.
- Add garlic, chicken broth and 2 tablespoons of pesto.
- Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring to a simmer and add the pasta.
- Simmer for 9-12 minutes or until pasta is al dente.
- Remove from heat and stir in half and half and parmesan cheese.
- Serve immediately.
Christina’s Notes
- Quick One-Pot Cooking: Everything cooks in one pan for max flavor and easy cleanup.
- Use Fresh Parmesan: It melts better and gives a rich, salty finish to the sauce.
- Adjust the Sauce: Add more cream or a splash of broth if it thickens too much.
- Try Different Pestos: Experiment with arugula, spinach, or even kale pesto for variety.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
Wonderful pesto chicken Thanks
It says to add half the pesto, but not what to do with the other half.
The other half you can use at the end to finish the dish with a burst of fresh flavor.
Such a great recipe.