After a long day, it’s always amazing to know that dinner won’t take very long to cook. This 30-minute pasta meal is super simple to throw together using common ingredients, and it’s a tasty favorite that the whole family will enjoy. There are endless ways to modify this skillet pasta recipe to create new and delicious pasta dishes. Check out all of my pasta recipes, or start with some of my favorites: I use a similar cooking method to make this slightly spicy Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta and this savory Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta. My Chicken Mushroom Pasta is also a winner when you want to make dinner quickly! If you want to get a bit fancy for an at-home date night, try making Creamy Lobster Pasta next!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredients In Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta
Here’s what you need to make this easy pasta with pesto chicken: Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Pasta: Choose whatever type of pasta you enjoy. I like to use short pasta like penne or rotini, but long pasta such as linguini can also work. Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces will cook quickly and be easy to eat.Pesto: I highly recommend that you make fresh homemade pesto to use in this recipe. If that’s not possible, look for a high-quality jarred pesto instead. Olive Oil and Butter: Use the oil to brown the chicken, and use the butter to saute minced garlic to flavor the sauce. Seasonings: Aside from minced garlic and pesto, you’ll need salt, pepper, and Italian Seasoning. I have a homemade recipe for Italian seasoning, make sure to check it out!Heavy Cream: I mentioned it already, but this sauce is perfectly creamy, and this is how we make it that way.Parmesan cheese: Salty and creamy, parmesan mirrors the flavor in the pesto.
How To Make Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta
Recipe Tips
Use Fresh Basil Pesto: You can make this recipe with pesto that comes from a jar, but the flavor will not be as fresh and amazing. Try my easy homemade basil pesto recipe!Grate Your Own Cheese: It’s cheaper and much more delicious to buy a wedge of parmesan and shred it yourself. Pre-shredded parmesan cheese lacks flavor and doesn’t melt nicely in the sauce.Try it With Boneless Chicken Thighs: Any type of chicken, cut into small pieces, can be used in this recipe. With thighs, I like to remove all of the excess fat from them before cooking.Instead of chicken, try this recipe with pan seared shrimp or salmon. Experiment: This dish is amazing exactly as written, but you can definitely add your own spin to it. To start with, try adding frozen peas or baby spinach to the sauce just before adding the chicken and pasta.Save Some Pasta Water: Pull out a cup of the cooking water before you drain it all away. The starchy water will be useful when making the creamy sauce and getting it to the perfect consistency. Don’t Burn the Garlic: You really only need to cook the garlic for half a minute, any longer than that and it could burn and ruin the dish. Be ready to add in the cream. Avoid Cooking the Pesto: Heating pesto for more than a minute will cause it to turn yellow. Add it in, and stir just until the sauce is heated through.
Storing Tips
This dish is really best if you eat it fresh, but you can certainly store leftovers in the fridge. Keep them in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat the pasta on the stove over low to medium heat, or by using the microwave. Since the pasta will have absorbed most of the sauce while in the fridge, add a splash of water and stir to make it creamy again.
What To Serve With Chicken Pesto Pasta
Keep dinner simple, and serve Chicken Pesto Pasta with a Simple Side Salad. Make my copycat Olive Garden Italian dressing, or try my Homemade Ranch Dressing. A Classic Caesar Salad would be amazing with this meal too. You might also like to have a hot batch of breadsticks or garlic bread available too. They’ll help you mop up every drop of this delicious basil pesto pasta sauce! Looking for a low-carb version of this dish? Go check out my Creamy Pesto Chicken Recipe! Chicken Pesto Pasta is going to find its way to your regular dinner recipe rotation once you taste how amazing it is! Save this recipe for the next time you need a new way to cook those chicken breasts in the fridge. © Little Sunny Kitchen
