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Chicken Pesto Pasta is full of flavorful chicken and tender pasta in a creamy, cheesy pesto sauce. It’s quick and easy, coming together in under 30 minutes.
Table of Contents
Why We Love This Chicken Pesto Pasta Recipe
This recipe is a family favorite and a great way to use my nut-free pesto. It’s easy to make – I just whip it up in my food processor. Serve with a side of broccoli or a copycat Olive Garden Salad for a complete meal.
It’s also…
- Fast – This pesto chicken pasta is a quick and easy 30-minute meal!
- Ultra creamy and cheesy – Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses blend together with the Pesto to make a supremely luscious sauce.
- Great for leftovers – If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, this dish reheats beautifully.
What you need
Ingredients
This recipe combines my Nut Free Pesto and a creamy cheese sauce for a truly magical dish. Most of the ingredients are pantry staples you probably already have on hand.
- Pasta – I chose penne pasta, but you can use any small-cut pasta like farfalle or rotini. You could even use fettuccine or spaghetti if you like.
- Chicken breast – You need 1 pound of chicken which is usually 2-3 chicken breasts. Chicken tenders will work too since you’re going to cut the meat into bite-sized pieces.
- Fresh garlic and Italian seasoning – for the chicken.
- Cheese sauce – Flour and butter to make a roux, chicken broth, heavy cream, Parmesan, and Mozzarella cheeses.
- Pesto – Fresh is best, and you can use one of my recipes for Nut Free Pesto or Walnut Basil Pesto. You only need about half a cup and the leftover can be added to scrambled eggs or spread on Crostini to make Pesto Bruschetta. If you need something quick, there are plenty of delicious jarred options as well.
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh basil – Optional, for garnish.
How To Make Chicken Pesto Pasta
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
This recipe is pretty easy to make as long as you follow the steps: cook the chicken, cook the pasta, make the cheese sauce, then bring it all together.
The creamy pesto sauce is similar to an Alfredo but not quite as heavy. It starts as a sort of bechamel, then Parmesan adds a nice bite while Mozzarella makes it super creamy.
- Pasta – Cook your favorite pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta really well and set it aside with the chicken.
- Chicken – Cut into bite-sized pieces and cook chicken with Italian seasoning, garlic salt and pepper. Transfer to a plate and use the same skillet for the sauce.
- Pesto Cheese Sauce – Cook melted butter with flour to make a roux, then add milk, half and half or heavy cream to thicken. Simmer, then add cheeses and pesto, stirring to melt completely.
- Finish and Serve – Combine the chicken, pasta, and sauce together in the skillet. Serve with fresh chopped basil for garnish.
What is Pesto Sauce?
Pesto sauce is traditionally made with fresh basil, olive oil, garlic, pine nuts, and parmesan cheese. I make mine with sunflower seeds to keep it nut-free. In place of the pine nuts, you can also use walnuts, cashews, or macadamia nuts.
I absolutely recommend making your own pesto. There are just a few ingredients and you can whip it up quickly in your food processor. Fresh really does taste so much better.
Serving Suggestions and Variations
- Add a side: With chicken, pasta, and a creamy pesto sauce, this is a pretty heavy meal. I like to serve it with a simple garden salad on the side. If I’m feeding a larger crowd, I’ll whip up a loaf of garlic bread, too.
- Add some veggies: Another option is to add some veggies to the pasta. Fresh spinach, kale, or sun-dried tomatoes could simply be added and simmered with the sauce. Or sauteed broccoli, sauteed asparagus, mushrooms, or sliced cherry tomatoes would all be fantastic.
- Adjust the cheese: I have heard from some readers that there is too much cheese in the sauce. While I don’t think you could ever have too much cheese, if you are thinking the same, try adding just half of the cheese first, then add more as desired.
Storage Tips
Storage and Freezing
Storing: Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator, or you can freeze them for up to 4 months. Thaw in the fridge when you are ready to eat.
Reheating: I recommend reheating on the stove, at a low heat and adding a couple splashes of milk to keep it creamy. You can also reheat in the microwave, gently, for 60-90 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds to keep the sauce from breaking.
Recipe Tips
- Make this a meatless dish and forego the chicken.
- Use leftover or rotisserie chicken breast instead of cooking the chicken. If you do pre-cooked chicken, saute it with some garlic and Italian seasoning to give it a little flavor, just for a few minutes.
- I recommend using chicken breasts rather than thighs or dark meat, which can be a little greasy in this recipe.
- Cook chicken in a single layer so it will cook and brown evenly.
- Remove the pan from the heat when adding the pesto and cheese.
- The mozzarella can seize up if you don’t get it blended in right away. Mix quickly. You could also add the mozzarella a little at a time, stirring well to blend it in each time. Same with the parmesan.
More Pasta Recipes You’ll Love
Looking for some more easy pasta recipes to add to your recipe box? Try these:
- One Pot Pizza Pasta
- Bruschetta Chicken Pasta
- Creamy Garlic Penne Pasta with Chicken
- Pesto Chicken Florentine
- Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
- Cacio e Pepe
Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- ½ pound Penne pasta about 2 ½ cups dry (half of a one pound box)
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 2 Garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 pound Boneless skinless chicken breast cut into bite-sized chunks
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 3 tablespoons All-purpose flour
- 1 cup Chicken broth
- 1 cup Half and half or all milk/cream
- ½ cup Freshly grated Parmesan
- 1 cup Freshly shredded Mozzarella
- ½ cup Basil pesto or more, to taste
- Fresh basil for garnish, if desired
Instructions
- Boil pasta to al dente according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and olive oil, then add minced garlic, italian seasoning and diced chicken breast. Season with salt and pepper and cook until chicken is no longer pink, stirring chicken a couple of times to brown on all sides. Transfer chicken to a plate and discard any liquid in the skillet.
- Return skillet to the stove over medium heat and melt butter. Whisk in the flour and cook until golden, about 3 minutes.
- Whisk in chicken broth and half & half and bring to a boil. If it begins to boil too rapidly, turn the heat down a little. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickened.
- Remove from heat and stir in pesto and cheeses. Add the pasta and chicken and stir to coat. **I recommend adding the cheese in small increments and mixing well with each addition, to avoid the mozzarella seizing and sticking together.
- Garnish with fresh chopped basil and fresh cracked black pepper and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
Just made this recipe using leftover roasted chicken. So easy to put together. Nice balance of flavors. Tastes great!
Thank you Linda!
Soooooo good and husband approved!! Will definitely make again!! Thank you for the yummy recipe!!!
You are so welcome Stacey! Thanks for stopping by.
Love these one pot dinners. Easy to make and very tasty
Thank you Linda! Love the feedback, thanks for stopping by.
This recipe was so easy to make. Lots of flavor and so yummy. I agree with others that this recipe is heavy on the cheese. I would only do 1/2 a cup of Mozzarella cheese. But overall, this recipe is a winner.
Thank you TimO! Awesome feedback, thanks for stopping by.
So easy and so good. I threw it together in 20 minutes. A Ceasar salad and we were good to go!
Awesome feedback Kristine! Thanks for stopping by.
This sauce was the perfect consistency. Very creamy! I doubled the sauce added in 3/4 of diced sundried tomatoes and some onions and peppers left over from the night before. Perfecto! Thanks for sharing!
You are so welcome LaStacia! Thanks for stopping by.
I should have read your post. Sun dried tomatoes would be perfect in this dish. Luckily I have leftovers. I will add some to that. Great Idea.
My two teenagers and my husband loved this, it was a hit. It’s not healthy but in moderation is good. I will be making this again for sure
Nice! Thank you for your feedback Sam.
I followed the recipe as written and it was very good, though next time I’ll reduce the amount of cheese by at least half. It is very rich and tasty, though. Leaving out the cheese altogether and serving over cooked cheese tortellini would most likely be super delicious, too. Thank you, Kristin, for this great recipe!
You are so welcome Deanne! Awesome feedback, thanks for stopping by.
Absolutely delicious! Even my toddler eats every bite! I add 1/4 cup more chicken broth just to make the sauce a tad looser but otherwise this recipe is flawless. Great summer dish
Thank you KarA! Love the feedback, thanks for stopping by.
I found this recipe to be bland and too rich. I even made my own pesto sauce and it didn’t make a difference. I wish I would have seen Sarah comment about not doubling the cheese.
Just a note that if you are doubling the recipe, you do NOT need to double the amount of cheese! I did and while it made it not great, I could tell that the flavor and texture would have been great with less cheese!!
Totally understand – cheesiness can be a personal preference! I have added a note to the recipe card to reflect that. I hope you’ll give it a try again with your personal cheese preference. 🙂
I’m always looking for new dinner ideas for my kids and they loved it. They asked for pesto pasta and this recipe got 2 thumbs up.
Nice! Thanks for sharing Vanessa.
Solid recipe. Family loved the creaminess of the roux. Stuck to the recipe except leaving out mozzarella. Will definitely make again.
Thank you Lara! Love your feedback, thanks for stopping by.
This was a very delicious recipe. My husband and I really enjoyed it. Will definately make it again.
Love the comment Marie! Thanks for stopping by.
Great recipe and great flavors.. and I poached my chicken to keep it tender and juicy… this is a keeper.
Thank you brian! Love the feedback, thanks for stopping by to share.
Recipe tastes great and was easy to make. I added a can of mushrooms and was going to add spinach, but I forgot. My sister is a picky eater and loved it (minus the mushrooms I added).
Awesome feedback Whitney! Thanks for stopping by.
Made some fresh pesto and wanted to do something different with it – so searched Pinterest for a recipe and came upon this one. It is easy to make, deliciously creamy and cheesy! Will definitely be making again! Thanks so much!
You are so welcome Cathy! Love your feedback, thanks for stopping by.
Flavor is good but there is way too much cheese.
Amazing and easy
Thank you Amy!
Family loved it! I might cut down (I can’t believe I’m saying this) the amount of cheese.
LOL… Love the feedback Lori! Thanks for stopping by.
I made this tonight for my husband and son who is the pickiest eater I know and they both loved it! My son eats very few things that I cook so this recipe is a keeper. Thank you!
You are so welcome Hope! Thanks for stopping by.
I’m looking to make this recipe soon and would like to use a blackening seasoning on the chicken. Have you tried that option and, if not, do you think it would work well with the pesto flavors?
I haven’t tried that, but I think it would be delicious.
The flavor was very good, but really could have done without the mozzarella. Made it to unnecessarily thick, the dish did not need any more.
Thanks for sharing your opinion Mike. Glad you enjoyed it.
Great flavor, for our family, we will decrease the amount of cheese by at least 1/2 and will add cherry tomatoes- yum!
I made this entirely gluten free using Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour and some corn starch to thicken. I used Barrila gluen free pasta, our favorite! I made pesto with my own basil, such a lovely recipe.
Thank you Gerri! Love your feedback, thanks for stopping by.
Does it need to be freshly grated Parmesean and mozzarella?
Freshly grated is the best for melting. Pre-grated cheese has an anti-caking agent coating it so it doesn’t melt properly.
I was planning on using pesto from the jar. How much would you use? I’ve never used it before so I have no idea. Tia!
It would still be 1/2 cup.
Another yellowblissroad dinner success night!
Made this one tonight & it came out amazing! Super easy and pretty quick! I love surfing Kristin’s recipes when I just have no idea what to make for dinner & they’re amazing every time!
Thank you for the awesome comment Lyna! You made our day!
Recipe turned out really really good. I actually used some leftover rotisserie chicken and just reheated it up in skillet with olive oil, garlic and Italian seasoning. I also used fresh mozzarella, and like recipe said it did seize up a little but managed to thin out with extra pasta water and olive oil. I made it up ahead of time and baked off later in a 350 oven for about 30 mins. Turned out great. It will be a to go to recipe.
Nice! Love the feedback Debbie. Thanks for stopping by.
I made this tonight and added fresh Spinach and it is absolutely delicious! Thank you!
You are so welcome Denise! Thanks for stopping by. (Love the feedback)
Great tasting,easy, and quick! This recipe made lots of sauce which I prefer. Many pasta dishes similar to this are skimpy on the sauce causing the dish to be much too dry. Thanks! This is a keeper.
You are so welcome Lorie! Thank you for the feedback.
Absolutely delicious!!
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Kay.
This is SO good!
Thank you Lara!
K.
Hi thinking about making this for party can i make it in the morning and reheat later will it be ok
Many thanks Gillian
Cheese sauces like this don’t typically reheat well; it’s best fresh. You could prep everything in the morning, and cook the pasta, then throw everything together just before you’re ready to seve.
Very good and easy! Normally when I make stuff like this I feel like the pasta dries out too much (especially leftovers) but this was perfect! Will definitely make again
Fantastic feedback Cristen! Thanks for stopping by.
I have made this at least a dozen times now, it’s such an amazing recipe!! My kids absolutely love it. Pretty easy to put together too!
Nice! Thank you so much Carleen for stopping.
After starting to cook this I realized I was missing a few ingredients. I only had fresh basil not pesto and I didn’t have motz cheese. My family still loved it and asked for more!
Nice! Thanks for stopping by CK.
i am trying this tonight. thanks for the recipe
Delicious!! And all of my picky family agreed. Thanks for sharing with us; it was a winner & I will be adding it to my rotation.
That’s awesome Amanda! Thanks for stopping by.
I have really big eaters. I may have to double this What is the serving size
Hi Jolene, serving size is 2 cups.
Love it too! I’ll have a little more end up being finished the whole skillet.
Made this for supper tonight exactly as specified for my kids and boyfriend and everyone emptied their plates and asked for more! This is “joining our rotation” as the kids say.
Nice! Glad everyone enjoyed it. Thanks for stopping Hilary.
So delicious! I added about half the amount of pesto suggested ( I find pesto to be pretty strong) and it turned out perfect.
Love the feedback Natalie! Thanks for stopping by.
I love this recipe!!! I want to gift one to a new mom and I was wondering how you would recommend freezing it?
Would it be better to freeze it after it’s all prepared before baking or after baking it?
There are instructions within the post, but I’ll make sure they’re in the notes too. You can freeze as a fully prepared meal, just make sure to let it cool completely first. Instruct your recipient to thaw the dish completely, and reheat on the stove in a large pan at low heat. Baking again could cause the cheese sauce to separate.
This dish tastes amazing! However, if you want it to turn out looking like the picture…double the chicken and pasta.
I sadly ended up with WAY too much sauce and it drowned everything.
I tried making this tonight but as soon as I added the flour to the butter it turned into dough almost ! I’m from the UK so have different measurements but I’m sure I did as I was told. What kind of flour do you use ? Thanks
Hi Dean, It’a all-purpose flour. The measurements are correct in the recipe. When you add the flour to the melted butter, it makes a roux, which looks a little like crumbled dough. Once you add the cream and chicken broth though, it should simply thicken the liquid to form a sauce.
Thank you Kristin, I’ll try it again.
Hi, do you have any keto recipes, thnx mary
Hi Mary, You are free to look around and see if anything appeals to you, but no we don’t have any keto specific recipes.
This was so yummy that even my picky kids ate it! My husband said it tasted like something you would eat at a restaurant. I halfed the mozzarella and used lactose free 2 percent milk instead of half-and-half to make it easier on lactose-sensitive stomachs.
Awesome feedback Becca! Thanks for stopping by.
SO DELICIOUS ??? Did exactly what you aren’t supposed to do and made this for the first time for friends coming to dinner and it was a hit! Easy and incredibly tasty!
THANK YOU BECCA!
I want to make this for my family what do you think would be a good side to go along with it?
Hi Amanda, in the post I talk about what to serve with the pasta. It’s a pretty heavy dish, so I recommend some veggies or a salad.
I can’t wait to try this recipe! Looks delicious! Do you have a favorite go-to pesto recipe that you use?
Hi Lara, I mentioned my Nut Free Pesto in the post, but I also have a Walnut Basil Pesto recipe. In the nut free version, you could swap the sunflower seeds for pine nuts or really any nut you like. Cashews are great too. The nut free is my go-to because my son has a severe nut allergy.
Hi. I wanted to make this but don’t know where to get Basil pesto. What would be an alternative to this?
Hi Donna, you can make the pesto from scratch using my Nut Free Pesto mentioned in the post, or you can usually find fresh, premade pesto in the refrigerator or deli section of your grocery store, or on Amazon fresh: https://amzn.to/3iA7RSR
hello! when should I add the spinach to the sauce? after removing from heat?
I would add it while simmering the sauce for 5 minutes. If will wilt during that time. If you want it to wilt less add with the cheese after removed from heat.
I made this and being the knucklehead I am, put in too much cheese! So it became VERY thick. That’s okay. I just put more chicken broth in until it reached the right consistency. Thought I would share that tip, just in case someone goes cheese crazy like me! Thank you for the recipe! It was amazing!
Hi. I was wondering if I could substitute the cream with coconut cream? Would it be less calories and still taste ok?
Hi Cindy, I think you could replace it that way, but I’m not sure how the flavors would work.
The recipe says it makes 4 servings, do you know about how much one serving size is? Trying to decide if I should double the recipe for a family of four
It makes 4 generous servings. Should be fine for a family of 4. It feeds my family of 3 adults and 2 teens.
Outstanding recipe. My family loved it!
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Timmi.
this sounds ,more like pasta alfredo with pesto mixed in… this is not a pesto sauce…..This is not pesto sauce… Sorry. this is alfredo sauce with pesto mixed in. Not Pesto sauce !!!!!!
You are awfully feisty about some pasta there Brian. It’s a creamy pesto pasta. Creamy, meaning cream and pesto because there’s pesto in it. Simmer down now.
I love your reply!,
A must try!! I made this for my family last night, and they’re still raving about it today. Funny too-My Mom didn’t sound too impressed when I said I was making pesto pasta, but she absolutely loved it. Delicious dish!!
Thank you Katie! Glad everyone enjoyed it. Thanks for stopping by.
I made this tonight and packed up servings for my adult kids as takeout… trying to still distance. It was a big hit with us all!
I love that idea Molly!
This recipe is one of those rare “unicorn” recipes! You know the ones…where everyone in the family loves it. Everyone is happy. So delicious. Very easy to make & with items I typically have on hand. Thank you so much for giving us a new family favorite!
You are so welcome Crystal! Thank you for the awesome feedback.
Jus wanna say this rocks b blessed
Thank you so much for stopping by Kimberly!
I am with Eva’s comment, I wish saw her comment was there when I first looked at this recipe! A Bag mozzarella would probably be better than fresh mozzarella and don’t give option of half and half, milk or cream. I used cream and with fresh mozzarella turn out to big whole glob of sauce. I tired to thin it out added more chicken broth and pesto…didn’t help much!
I think 1 cup mozz was too much. It turned the sauce into glue. I had to end up using more pesto. Full amount of the small har that I took 1/2 cup from to thin it out, but did not work. Turned the heat back on after adding pasta and sundried tomatoes and added more chicken stock. Probably close to a cup more. Helped thined it out a bit. Flavors are on point tho. Delicious
Hello Eva, Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your awesome feedback.
This recipe is so good! Tried it last night and it turned out amazing. I didn’t have half and half or regular milk so I used almond milk and it worked fine! Definitely will be saving this recipe to make again.
That’s so awesome Maggie! Thanks for stopping by.
Thanks for the tip, we use almond milk in our house too!
I’m going to add cherry tomatoes to mine. When do you think would be the best time to add them?
I recommend cooking them separately, either in a skillet or roasting in the oven, and just stir them in at the end. Fresh would be good, too.
This is a family favourite in my house. We brown a heap of pinenuts and roast cherry tomatoes to add in the mix, too.
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Rebecca.
I sautéed onion. Garlic and mushrooms with my chicken. I also grated 2 cloves of garlic and 1/2 medium onion into the roux before adding my liquids.
Delucious!
Nice! Awesome feedback Mary, thanks for stopping by.
Awesome recipe!
Thank you Lisa!
Do you think I could use the Bertoli refrigerated sauce?
You can use any jarred pesto sauce that you like.
Hi! How much is the recommended serving size for this dish?
Hi Melissa, This recipe will make 4-6 decent sized portions.
Hi! I’m trying this recipe tonight because I have my bother and nephew over for dinner. So I’m making it x8. Does the 784k calories mean it’s 784 thousand calories per serving!?
No. Kcalories are 1:1 calories. It’s just a unit of measurement used by the recipe card program that determines nutritional values.
Oh my gosh, girlfriend! I’ve made at least a dozen of your recipes before and this one is OUT OF THIS WORLD, holy cow! So delicious and creamy. Can’t wait for leftovers! Thank you so much!
IG @ourcrowsnest5
Do you make your own pesto or is it jarred?
I make my own pesto usually: Nut Free Pesto
But I have also used jarred and it’s fine too.
Hello! Is the calorie count per serving? Thank you!
Yes it’s in the recipe card. It’s definitely an indulgent meal, but you cuold stretch it to feed 6 if you make the servings smaller and serve with a salad or add some veggies.
Best pesto pasta recipe
Thank you Christina!
This is my second time making it, and my family loves it. It came out delicious.
That’s awesome Elba! Thanks for stopping by.
I made this last night and it was delicious.
That’s awesome Rewari! Thanks for stopping by.
My family loved it! They loved the flavor they loved that it didn’t take long to cook. It was great, thank you for sharing!
You are so welcome Michelle! Thank you for your awesome feedback.
I somehow made mine too thick I think! It tastes great but when you try to spoon the sauce it looks like a cheese pull when you break a mozzarella stick in half. What did I do?
Hi Mackenzie. Sometimes if you don’t mix it in quickly enough, or in a clump, the mozzarella can seize up and firm back up. Try sprinkling in half at a time and stirring it in in batches.
Okay, this is ridiculously delicious. ?. It’ll be on rotation this fall and winter.
Thank you Kyla!
Absolutely delicious! I will definitely make it again! Thanks for the recipe
You are so welcome Cara! Love the feedback! Thanks for stopping by.