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Home » Recipes » Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta

Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta

Published on May 12, 2020, Updated January 1, 2021 by Kristin Maxwell | 59 Comments

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Learn how to make a Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta meal in under 30 minutes with this simple recipe! Creamy, cheesy and full of flavor, this dish will quickly be a new favorite!

A skillet with pasta and chicken in a creamy pesto sauce

Quick and Easy Weeknight Dinner

Dinnertime can be stressful when time is limited, which is why I always have recipes like this in my back pocket. It’s super simple to make and that creamy pesto sauce is to die for!

It was a little bit on accident the way this chicken pesto pasta came to be. I had a bunch nut-free pesto leftover from recipe testing and didn’t want it to go to waste. My husband orders pesto in his pasta all the time at Italian restaurants so I thought I’d pull together a few of his favorite things into one dish and it was magic.

The entire family raved about it, plus it only took me 30 minutes to make! That’s the best kind of win.

Creamy Pesto Sauce

I went back and forth deciding how to make the creamy pesto sauce for this chicken pasta dish. Alfredo style seemed too heavy, so I decided to make a sort of bechamel.

  1. Melt some butter in a deep skillet or saute pan, then whisk in flour. Let it cook for a few minutes until it’s like a thick paste and golden in color.
  2. Pour in chicken broth and milk or cream. Nonfat milk will cut some calories but a cream or even half and half will make it so smooth and creamy. Let the sauce simmer for several minutes until it’s thick. Don’t boil it or it could scorch. You just want a nice simmer with bubbles coming to the top.
  3. Remove from the heat and stir in pesto sauce and cheese.

images in a collage showing how to make cremay pesto sauce

How to Make Chicken Pesto Pasta

  1. Cook chicken on the stovetop with some garlic and italian seasoning. Season with salt and pepper and set aside on a plate. Use the same skillet to make the creamy pesto sauce.
  2. Cook your favorite pasta according to the package directions. Drain the water and set it aside with the chicken.
  3. Combine the chicken, pasta and sauce together in the skillet. Serve chicken pesto pasta garnished with fresh chopped basil.

Serving Suggestions and Variations

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.

Another option is to add some veggies to the pesto pasta. Fresh spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, yellow squash, mushrooms or cherry tomatoes would all be fantastic in this dish.

What to do with Leftovers

Leftover chicken pesto pasta will be good up to 4 days in the fridge if properly stored in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 4 months and thaw in the fridge when you are ready to eat. I recommend reheating on the stove, at a low heat and adding a little bit of milk to help keep it from drying out.

a white bowl with chicken pesto pasta in a creamy pesto sauce

More pasta recipes

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 Chicken Pesto Pasta

Kristin Maxwell
Chicken Pesto Pasta has tender pasta and chicken coated in a rich and creamy pesto sauce. It's an easy, flavorful meal that's ready in 30 minutes!
4.74 from 15 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 4 servings
Calories 784 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • ½ pound penne pasta about 2 1/2 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 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 fresh 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 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. Garnish with fresh chopped basil and fresh cracked black pepper.

Notes

Optional add-ins: fresh spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, yellow squash, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes.
The mozzarella can seize up if you don't get it blended in right away. Mix quickly. You could also try adding half of the mozzarella at a time, stirring well to blend it in each time. 

Nutrition

Calories: 784kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 47gFat: 41gSaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 146mgSodium: 1082mgPotassium: 709mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1345IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 425mgIron: 2mg
Keyword chicken pesto, creamy pesto sauce, pesto pasta
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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About Kristin Maxwell

Kristin Maxwell is the creator and main recipe developer, writer, and photographer of Yellow Bliss Road. A self-taught cook and self-appointed foodie, she specializes in easy, flavorful and approachable recipes for any home cook. Read more about Kristin HERE.

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  1. Patti says

    January 18, 2021 at 6:07 pm

    hello! when should I add the spinach to the sauce? after removing from heat?

    Reply
    • Kristin Maxwell says

      January 18, 2021 at 7:35 pm

      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.

      Reply
  2. Jessica says

    January 18, 2021 at 3:44 pm

    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!

    Reply
  3. Cindy says

    January 15, 2021 at 12:43 pm

    Hi. I was wondering if I could substitute the cream with coconut cream? Would it be less calories and still taste ok?

    Reply
    • Kristin Maxwell says

      January 17, 2021 at 3:07 pm

      Hi Cindy, I think you could replace it that way, but I’m not sure how the flavors would work.

      Reply
  4. Brooke says

    January 5, 2021 at 9:50 am

    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

    Reply
    • Kristin Maxwell says

      January 5, 2021 at 5:03 pm

      It makes 4 generous servings. Should be fine for a family of 4. It feeds my family of 3 adults and 2 teens.

      Reply
  5. Timmi says

    January 2, 2021 at 1:30 pm

    Outstanding recipe. My family loved it!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      January 3, 2021 at 9:12 am

      Nice! Thanks for stopping by Timmi.

      Reply
  6. brian winberg says

    January 1, 2021 at 11:20 am

    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 !!!!!!

    Reply
    • Kristin Maxwell says

      January 3, 2021 at 1:42 am

      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.

      Reply
      • Melisa says

        January 6, 2021 at 11:28 am

        I love your reply!,

        Reply
  7. Katie says

    December 13, 2020 at 1:14 pm

    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!!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      December 14, 2020 at 1:04 am

      Thank you Katie! Glad everyone enjoyed it. Thanks for stopping by.

      Reply
  8. Molly says

    November 29, 2020 at 4:45 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Kristin Maxwell says

      November 30, 2020 at 8:47 am

      I love that idea Molly!

      Reply
  9. Crystal says

    November 6, 2020 at 5:23 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      November 9, 2020 at 10:06 am

      You are so welcome Crystal! Thank you for the awesome feedback.

      Reply
  10. Kimberly says

    November 6, 2020 at 9:54 am

    Jus wanna say this rocks b blessed

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      November 9, 2020 at 10:07 am

      Thank you so much for stopping by Kimberly!

      Reply
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