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Home » Easy Dinners » Chicken Pesto Pasta

Chicken Pesto Pasta

April 29, 2015

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So simple.  Yet, so delicious!  Chicken Pesto Pasta is chicken and penne in a basil pesto sauce.Chicken Pesto Pasta in a white bowl

This is one of those recipes that’s great for a busy weeknight.  You only need a handful of ingredients to make it.  It’s ready in under 20 minutes.  And, it’s so, so good!

Just sauté some chunks of chicken breast with a little seasoning.  Add prepared basil pesto and cooked pasta.  And, that’s it.  You’re done!

skillet full of Chicken Pesto Pasta

Pesto is full of flavor.  Prepared pesto mainly consists of basil, olive oil, pine nuts, and parmesan cheese.  Which means, pesto is pretty high in calories and fat.

To lighten up this dish, cut back on the pesto and add some of the starchy pasta cooking water.

Watch the step by step recipe video for Chicken Pesto Pasta below.

white bowl full of chicken pesto pasta

Chicken Pesto Pasta

So simple.  Yet, so delicious!  Chicken Pesto Pasta is chicken and penne in a basil pesto sauce.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 17 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 560kcal
Author: Amanda Finks
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
5 from 8 votes

Ingredients

  • 8 oz. (half a 1 pound box) penne rigate pasta
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast cut into bite size chunks
  • 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 3/4 cup basil pesto

Instructions

  • Cook the pasta according to it’s package directions. Before draining the pasta, reserve 1/4 cup of the starchy cooking liquid.
  • As the pasta cooks, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the chicken, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir well to coat the chicken. Cook for 6-8 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally. Remove the skillet from the heat.
  • Add the cooked and drained pasta and the pesto to the skillet with the chicken. Stir well.
  • To loosen up the sauce, add some of the reserved starchy cooking liquid, if needed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4th the recipe | Calories: 560kcal | Carbohydrates: 45.8g | Protein: 34.2g | Fat: 25.8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Fiber: 2.8g
Course Dinner, Entree, Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword chicken pesto pasta, pasta with pesto, pesto pasta
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Check out all of my great chicken recipes.

Chicken Pesto Pasta 1
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Comments

  1. Julie is HostessAtHeart says

    April 29, 2015 at 9:58 PM

    This looks exactly like a dish we had in Italy. It was so delicious that I am going to ha e to try this one!

    Reply
  2. Rerktyne says

    January 20, 2018 at 12:39 PM

    5 stars
    Great dish! I sometimes like to pour bechamel sauce on top and make a kind of freak lasagna. Dead easy and ever so traiz bong!

    Reply
  3. Tamara says

    March 26, 2018 at 11:01 AM

    5 stars
    I make this and add different veggies each time. It’s so versatile!

    Reply
  4. mark woolley says

    May 20, 2019 at 5:03 AM

    Made this meal for the wife for the first time. I wanted to try something different. To be more adventures. We both thoroughly enjoyed it, and will try out more of your recipes. Thanks.
    Mark.
    Mwwjoinery

    Reply
  5. Emily says

    December 30, 2019 at 8:16 PM

    5 stars
    Yummers!!! I actually didn’t have Italian seasoning so I made some from scratch – 1 teaspoon rosemary, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon basil. Mix that together and took 1 teaspoon out for the recipe. I cut up the chicken into very small bites and only cooked it for the six minutes. Delicious!

    Reply
  6. Kaf Anim says

    April 1, 2020 at 10:50 AM

    Amazing recipe! Easy to follow. My main ingredient was prawns. I needed new inspiration during this lockdown period and I enjoyed cooking this as a meal prep with my son. Bravo! 👏

    Reply
  7. Karen Williams says

    April 21, 2020 at 1:19 PM

    5 stars
    Very tasty. Quick and easy to make. I added mushrooms, fine beans and pine nuts.

    Reply
  8. Tina says

    June 8, 2020 at 5:48 PM

    5 stars
    I had pesto sauce in the cabinet and needed an idea for how to use it. This recipe was simple, quick and delicious!
    I had zucchini that I needed to cook, so I chopped it into bits and added it in. We liked putting Parmesan cheese on it. Grape or cherry tomatoes would make it pretty (but I didn’t have those on hand). Thanks for the quick idea and the video!

    Reply
  9. LJB says

    August 1, 2020 at 2:38 PM

    5 stars
    Fast and easy. Great way to use the abundance of homemade pesto on hand this time of year.
    My husband and sons love it

    Reply
  10. Pat Barnett says

    September 22, 2020 at 5:40 PM

    First time I tried a Pesto recipe. It came out delicious

    Reply
  11. Michelle McLaughlin says

    November 9, 2020 at 3:08 AM

    Could you use left over cooked chicken in this recipie

    Reply
  12. Evan G Gassiot says

    December 22, 2020 at 7:28 PM

    5 stars
    been doing this recipe for a while now. I’ve never actually looked up a recipe for it. Thought I would for a change. what I found works well, believe it or not, is water chestnuts, it adds a great texture to the meal. I also often add many vegetables. Whatever I have on hand, peas, zucchini, broccoli, olives, bell peppers, onions are a must, etc, etc. Thanks for the heads up on the reserved starchy liquid. I would have never thought of that!

    Reply
  13. S says

    February 9, 2021 at 8:11 PM

    5 stars
    Easy and yummy. I added some store bought marinara sauce.

    Reply

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Hi, I’m Amanda Finks –

Amanda Finks, RDN Profile Picture for The Wholesome DishI’m a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist living in the St. Louis, MO area. I’m an avid cook, travel nerd, & lover of good food! I’m trained in Food Science & recipe development.  It’s my mission to bring you the BEST recipes your whole family will love!  See More.

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