Creamy pesto chicken pasta. This is a simple but delicious dish that mixes pesto with Alfredo sauce. When you combine these two together, magic happens. The result is a smooth sauce packed with nutty, herby flavors, lots of Parmesan and crispy seared chicken. It’s utterly satisfying.
Pesto pasta with tender chicken
Classic basil pesto, with its mix of pine nuts, Parmesan and garlicky flavor is beyond doubt one of the greatest sauces. But creamy pesto could be even better. It turns this pasta dish into something a little richer and more satisfying, perfect for serving with shells or orecchiette. These pasta shapes are capable to catch so much sauce. And this sauce is everything!
Let me guide you through the recipe with this step-by-step VIDEO.
Recipe Notes
- This recipe works with homemade pesto or your favorite store-bought pesto.
- You can swap heavy cream for half-and-half.
- Serve with a pasta shape that’s capable to catch as much sauce as possible.
How to store leftover chicken with pearl couscous
- Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: This recipe is not suitable for freezing.
- Reheating: Reheat on the stovetop in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until the chicken is heated through.
Other Delicious Recipes to Try
- Black Pepper Chicken Alfredo Pasta
- Penne with smoked salmon and mascarpone
- Eggplant and sun dried tomato pasta with ricotta
Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 5.5 ounces pasta shells or orecchiette
- 2 chicken fillets thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- ¾ cup heavy cream or half-and-half
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan more for serving
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- toasted pine nuts for serving
Green pesto
- 1.5 ounces basil leaves
- 1.5 ounces toasted pine nuts
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling generously salted water, until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water.
- Make the pesto. Combine the basil, pine nuts, Parmesan, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Continue blending until the pesto is well blended but still has some texture.
- Add olive oil and half of the butter to a deep nonstick skillet or pan, melt over medium heat. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, cook until the chicken is browned and crispy on the outside, about 5 minutes. Remove from skillet.
- Reduce heat to medium low. Add the remaining butter to the skillet. Add garlic, sauté for 1 minute. Pour cream and bring to a simmer. Stir to dissolve any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Add pesto and cooked chicken. Season with extra black pepper. Toss in pasta and add Parmesan, stir until the cheese is melted. Add a splash of cooking water if needed. Remove the skillet from heat.
- Serve with grated Parmesan and toasted pine nuts. Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
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Thanks for an incredible and easy peesy recipe. Made this tonight using my garlic scape pesto. Reduced the amount of garlic in the recipe. Made the sauce with half and half, as that was on hand.
This was the first time we have made it, but definitely, not the last!
Love hearing this! I am really glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for giving it a try!
If using store bought pesto how much would you add
Hi, you can start by adding 1/2 jar of pesto and adjust to your liking. Hope you love it!