Easy Chicken Pesto Pasta

This easy chicken pesto pasta is a simple yet delicious weeknight meal that's ready in just 20 minutes. You can make your own pesto or use shop-bought for convenience and you'll have a fuss-free meal on the table in no time!

Chicken and pesto pasta is one of those simple dishes that are on heavy rotation in my house on busy weeknights.

Juicy chicken smothered in a pesto sauce with no cream make this pasta appealing for the whole family. Even a very picky eater will agree this is indeed a family favorite.

This is a rather healthy chicken pesto pasta recipe because it's made with just pesto sauce and absolutely no heavy cream at all.

You can also add extra veggies and protein like bacon, pancetta or Italian sausage to truly make it your own.

Why you'll love this chicken pesto pasta recipe

• It's ready in 20 minutes. This is a super quick and easy dinner for those super busy weeknights.
• Most ingredients are pantry staples. If you have a pesto jar and some chicken in the fridge, you’re ready to make this pasta.
• It's highly customizable. This is a very versatile recipe as you can add just about any veggies you want, including cherry tomatoes, zucchini (courgettes) or mushrooms.

Ingredients and substitutions

Olive oil + butter — Frying the cubed chicken breasts in a mix of olive oil and butter gives you a buttery taste and a high smoking point all in one.

Chicken breast — Skinless chicken breast fillets are best for pasta dishes like this. You can also use rotisserie chicken in this pasta.

Garlic —freshly chopped or minced garlic offers the best flavour for this creamy chicken pesto pasta.

Italian seasoning mix —You can add some extra red pepper flakes if you want your pasta to have a bit of a kick.

Pesto — You can make this pasta with shop-bought basil pesto sauce or use homemade pesto instead. If using shop-bought, it's best to buy the pesto from the chilled aisle of the supermarket.

Sundried tomatoes — I made this pasta dish with semi-sundried tomatoes but any kind would do.

Pine nuts — These are optional but sprinkling some on the pasta will take this dish to the next level.

Pasta — I made this chicken pesto pasta with orecchiette but any other type of short pasta would do. Fusilli, bow-tie pasta or penne pasta are all great choices.

How to make chicken pesto pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it generously, and cook the pasta al dente according to the directions on the package. Reserve 1-2 cups of pasta water before draining.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven and melt the butter in it. Add the chicken and cook for 5-6 minutes on medium-high heat, or until the chicken is cooked to your liking.

Stir in the garlic and Italian seasoning mix and continue to cook for another minute. Next, add the cooked pasta to the pan together with half a cup of pasta water and stir to combine.

Stir in the pesto and add a bit more pasta water if it looks too dry. Next, stir in the sundried tomatoes, fresh basil leaves and pine nuts.

Season to taste and serve, sprinkled with some extra toasted pine nuts, if you like.

Make your own fresh basil pesto

Shop-bought pesto is super convenient when you're short on time, but if you have the ingredients on hand, it's also easy to make your own.

Here's what you need:

• ½ bunch fresh basil
• 2 small garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 50 g (⅓ cup) pine nuts
• 30 g (⅓ cup) grated parmesan
• 50 ml (¼ cup) olive oil

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste and use in any recipe that calls for fresh pesto, like this summer minestrone, for example.

Leftovers and storage

• Leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
• You can reheat the pasta in the microwave or serve it at room temperature, pasta salad-style.
• I don't recommend freezing pesto pasta because the texture won't be the same when thawed.

Recipe notes and tips

• You can make this recipe extra interesting by adding some Italian sausage or pancetta.
• Sprinkle some freshly grated parmesan cheese on each bowl right before serving.
• Fresh mozzarella balls are a great addition to this creamy pesto sauce.

If you liked this chicken pesto pasta, you might also like some of my other easy pasta recipes:

• Easy Kielbasa Pasta
• Tuna Red Pesto Pasta
• Pasta e Piselli (Pasta and Peas)
• Creamy Chicken Piccata Pasta
• Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Pasta

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