Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta

This easy Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta is a must for any pasta lover! Ready to serve in around 30 minutes, this dish combines tender chicken and penne pasta with a rich pesto cream sauce made with homemade pesto. Not only is this recipe easy to prepare, but it also makes for the perfect leftovers or meal prep idea!

Love pasta? Here are a few more pasta recipes you might enjoy: Creamy Chicken Roasted Poblano Pasta, Creamy Mushroom Stroganoff, Cheesy Baked Rigatoni with Beef, Truffle Chicken Meatball Pasta, and Cajun Chicken Alfredo Pasta.

A delicious pasta dish is always a winner in my household. They are fairly simple to pull together, are always filling and hearty, and make great leftovers for the next day’s lunch. Pasta always goes a long way.

While this recipe calls for chicken, you can make it your own by omitting the chicken and adding more vegetables like spinach, mushrooms, broccoli, etc.

Ingredients you’ll need to make Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta:

• For the pasta, you’ll need penne. It’s the perfect size, and the ridges are great for holding and sticking to the creamy pesto sauce. If you don’t have penne on hand, you can also use rotini, farfalle, ziti, bow-tie pasta, fettuccine, spaghetti, or linguini.
• You’ll need boneless, skinless chicken breast that you’ll cut into bite-sized chunks. Chicken tenders will also work since you will cut the meat into smaller pieces. The chicken will be seasoned with paprika, sea salt, and black pepper.
• I keep it simple by adding only grape or cherry tomatoes.
• You’ll make a homemade walnut pesto by blending fresh basil leaves, shelled walnuts, olive oil, grated parmesan cheese, minced garlic, garlic powder, dried thyme, black pepper, and sea salt. You can swap the walnuts for pine nuts for a more traditional preparation. A high-quality store-bought variety can also be used, but I highly recommend making your own.
• To make the pasta creamy, you’ll need chicken broth, heavy cream, and grated parmesan cheese. You’ll add some minced garlic to your creamy sauce, too.
• Olive oil is used to pan-sear and brown the chicken.
• Optional: Top with shaved parmesan cheese

How to make Creamy Pesto Pasta:

Make the pesto. Blend the basil leaves, shelled walnuts, grated parmesan cheese, and minced garlic in a food processor (paid link) or blender (paid link). Slowly add the olive oil and pulse to blend. Scrape down the sides of the food processor (paid link) or blender (paid link) and add the garlic powder, dried thyme, black pepper, and sea salt. Pulse all ingredients until everything is blended and somewhat smooth.

Boil the pasta. Boil the penne pasta per the instructions. Strain and set to the side.

Cut and season the chicken breasts. Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and season with paprika, salt, and pepper.

Cook the chicken. Heat a large skillet to medium heat and add olive oil. Add the chicken pieces to the skillet and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Once cooked, remove the chicken from the skillet and set it to the side.

Make the sauce. In the same skillet at medium heat (don’t clean the skillet), add the minced garlic and stir. Add the chicken broth, then allow it to cook for a few minutes. Add the heavy cream, grated Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, black pepper, and sea salt. Lower the heat to medium-low and stir until combined.

Add the pasta and pesto. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the pasta, pesto, halved tomatoes, and spinach (optional) into the skillet. Fold everything together.

Serve. Serve pasta dish in a bowl and top off with shaved parmesan cheese.

Tips & Tricks

• Make this a meatless dish, and forego the chicken! Or, if you’re looking for an alternative to chicken, try this recipe with pan seared shrimp or salmon.
• Other great additions to add to your pasta include sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, artichoke hearts, or broccoli.
• This dish is really best if you enjoy it immediately, but you can store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat, add to a skillet on the stove over low to medium heat or pop a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave. Since the pasta will have absorbed most of the sauce, add a little milk or heavy cream and stir to make it creamy again.

Chicken Pesto Penne

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5 from 1 review

• Author: Eric Jones
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x

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Description

This easy Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta combines tender chicken with penne pasta and a rich pesto cream sauce made with homemade walnut pesto.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 12 oz penne pasta
• 1 lb. organic chicken breasts
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt, divided
• 1 1/2 tsp black pepper, divided
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 3 tsp minced garlic
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• spinach, optional
• shaved parmesan cheese, optional topping

Walnut Pesto:

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1/3 cup shelled walnuts
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

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Instructions

1. For the walnut pesto: Blend the basil leaves, shelled walnuts, grated parmesan cheese, and minced garlic in a food processor (paid link) or blender (paid link). Slowly add the olive oil and pulse to blend. Scrape down the sides of the food processor (paid link) or blender (paid link) and add the garlic powder, dried thyme, black pepper, and sea salt. Pulse all ingredients until combined.
2. Boil the penne pasta per the instructions. Strain and set to the side.
3. Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and season with paprika, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper.
4. Heat a large skillet to medium heat and add olive oil. Add the chicken pieces to the skillet and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Once cooked, remove the chicken from the skillet and set it to the side.
5. Add the minced garlic in the same skillet at medium heat and stir. Add the chicken broth and cook for a few minutes. Add the heavy cream, grated parmesan cheese, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 1/2 tsp sea salt. Lower the heat to medium-low and stir until combined. Remove the skillet from the heat.
6. Add the cooked pasta, homemade pesto, halved tomatoes, and spinach (optional) into the skillet. Fold everything together.
7. Serve pasta dish in a bowl and top off with shaved parmesan cheese.

Equipment

Blender

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Enameled Cast Iron 3-Quart

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Food Processor

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(paid link)

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Calories: 1028
• Sugar: 3.5g
• Sodium: 5473mg
• Fat: 52g
• Carbohydrates: 83.8g
• Fiber: 16.4g
• Protein: 31.6g
• Cholesterol: 151mg