Rich and flavorful, this Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta is so tasty. Basil pesto, Parmesan cheese, and garlic give its buttery cream sauce the most delicious flavor.
If you like pasta dishes, you can’t go wrong with our yummy Tuscan chicken pasta and 4 cheese ravioli.
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The tastiest Chicken Pesto Pasta
This creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta is ridiculously good. Juicy, cubed chicken breast tossed with al dente penne pasta and finished with a cream sauce. It’s rich and herbaceous with basil pesto, pungent garlic, and fresh Parmesan cheese. This dish isn’t hard to make, but the flavors will wow you. You’ll love serving it to friends and family. And you can also make some tweaks to fit your personal style, as this recipe is great for variations.
What you’ll need
- For the chicken- Boneless skinless chicken breast, Olive oil, and Salt and Pepper, and Italian Spices
- For the sauce- Unsalted butter, Garlic cloves, Chicken broth, Heavy cream, Basil pesto, Salt, and Parmesan cheese
- Pasta- I used penne.
How to Make Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta
- Cook the pasta. First, cook the penne pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water. When it’s done, drain it and set it aside.
- Cut and season the chicken. Slice the chicken breasts into thin cutlets and generously season with salt and pepper.
- Cook the chicken. Now over medium-high heat, cook the chicken cutlets in a skillet with the olive oil. When both sides have been grilled and cooked through, place the chicken on a plate for 5 minutes, covered with foil, to rest and re-absorb their juices. Then cut them into cubes.
- Cook the garlic. In the same skillet, add the butter and minced garlic cloves. Stir them over medium heat for about 20 seconds.
- Add the broth and cream. Now pour in the chicken broth and heavy cream.
- Add the rest of the sauce ingredients. Let the sauce come to a simmer and then turn the heat off and add the salt (to taste), basil pesto, and grated Parmesan cheese. If you like basil pesto, you can add more.
- Combine with chicken and pasta. Finally, add the cubed chicken and cooked pasta to the sauce and stir to combine. Serve warm.
Recipe Tips
- Use chicken cutlets– chicken cutlets are pretty much chicken breast that has been cut in half. So they are thinner and cook faster. They also have more flavor than using a whole chicken breast.
- Pesto– You can make your own or buy it from the store. Just make sure to buy the ones that are stored in the refrigerator.
- Don’t store in the cast iron– Store leftover pasta in an airtight container and NOT in the cast iron pan. The food will obtain a metallic taste and the pan will rust faster that way.
Variations to this pasta dish
There are so many ways you can tweak and vary this scrumptious pasta dish. Here are a few suggestions:
- Substitute the protein- You can substitute the chicken breast with chicken thighs, grilled shrimp, Italian sausage, or even white beans. Any of these would be delicious in this recipe.
- Change the pasta- While I used penne, you could also enjoy Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta with bowtie, rotini, rigatoni, fusilli, or farfalle. Use your favorite kind.
- Make it dairy-free- If you want to avoid dairy, then use vegan butter, full-fat coconut milk, and nutritional yeast in place of the butter, cream, and cheese.
- Try it gluten-free- All you need to do to this creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta is use a gluten-free penne pasta.
- Add more vegetables- This pasta dish would be delicious with cherry tomatoes, spinach, yellow squash, zucchini, mushrooms, or sun-dried tomatoes.
How to Store and Reheat it
To store leftover Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta, place it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze this pasta in an airtight container or freezer ziplock bag for up to 4 months. Just thaw overnight in the fridge when you are ready to serve it. Reheat it on the stovetop over low heat, adding some cream if needed to loosen up the sauce.
What to Serve Chicken Pesto Pasta with
Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta can be served with lots of different dishes. You could start with an Easy Antipasto Salad (low carb). Or you could serve a fresh salad, like this Best Broccoli Cranberry Salad, or a soup, such as Easy French Onion Soup. Garlic Cheese Bread is perfect alongside this pasta, and vegetables like Bacon Wrapped Asparagus (Oven Baked) and Roasted Air Fryer Vegetables are, too. Serve it with your favorite sides to make it even more special.
More delicious pasta recipes to enjoy!
- Greek Chicken Pasta Salad
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta (VIDEO)
- Shrimp Alfredo Pasta
- Creamy Lobster Ravioli
- Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe
Full Recipe Instructions
Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3-4 cloves of garlic min
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup basil pesto
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook 1 pound of penne pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water. Then drain and set aside.
- Now slice 1 1/2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breast into thin cutlets. Then generously season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Bring a skillet to medium-high heat, then pour in 3 tablespoons olive oil. Now cook the chicken on both sides until fully cooked through.
- Then remove the chicken and let it rest on a plate for about 5 minutes covered with foil. This will let it rest and re-absorb the juices back in. Then cut the chicken into cubes.
- In the same skillet, add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and 3-4 minced garlic cloves. Stir over medium heat for about 20 seconds.
- Then pour in 1 cup of chicken broth and 1 1/2 cups heavy cream.
- Let it come to a simmer, then turn the heat off and add 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste), 1/2 cup basil pesto, and 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese. If you like more Basil pesto, you can definitely add more.
- Now add back the cubed chicken and cooked pasta. Stir to combine and serve warm.
Notes
- Substitute the protein- You can substitute the chicken breast with chicken thighs, grilled shrimp, Italian sausage, or even white beans. Any of these would be delicious in this recipe.
- Change the pasta- While I used penne, you could also enjoy Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta with bowtie, rotini, rigatoni, fusilli, or farfalle. Use your favorite kind.
- Make it dairy-free- If you want to avoid dairy, then use vegan butter, full-fat coconut milk, and nutritional yeast in place of the butter, cream, and cheese.
- Try it gluten-free- All you need to do to this creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta is use a gluten-free penne pasta.
- Add more vegetables- This pasta dish would be delicious with cherry tomatoes, spinach, yellow squash, zucchini, mushrooms, or sun-dried tomatoes.
Nutrition
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S. R. says
This recipe is so flavorful. We love it. I added 2 to 3 T. of flour to the butter and garlic right before I added the chicken broth and heavy cream to thicken a bit more. This recipe has become a family favorite already. Thank you Simply Homecooked!
Dina says
You are very welcome! 🙂 Happy to hear you and your family love this chicken pesto pasta recipe and that it is a family favorite! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your awesome feedback! I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my blog 🙂