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This Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta is the definition of a crowd-pleaser! It’s a dish that’s hearty, fresh, and makes for great leftovers (that is, if you don’t eat the whole pan!).
My daughter, Sutton, came back from camp raving about the pesto pasta they made. I kept making variations of it at home and it was never *quite right.* That is, until I landed on this version, which got the Sutton stamp of approval. It is now one of daughter’s most-requested meals. It’s creamy and cozy, but packed with veggies and herbs so I can still feel good about feeding it to my kids.
Featuring juicy chicken, perfectly al dente pasta, and bright, sweet peas all tossed in a deliciously creamy sauce, this meal is sure to please the whole family. I have a feeling that it’s going to quickly become part of your weekly meal rotation!
Ingredients:
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Casarecce Pasta
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Unsalted Butter
- Heavy Cream
- Basil Pesto
- Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Frozen Peas
- Fresh Basil
Step-by-Step:
Step One: boil the water
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
step two: prep and season the chicken
Meanwhile, place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and cover with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet, pound the chicken until it is a uniform 1/2-inch thickness. Pat dry with paper towels. Season both sides with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Set aside.
Step three: cook the pasta
When the water reaches a boil, add the uncooked pasta and a big pinch of salt (about 1 tablespoon) and cook until al dente, according to package directions. When the pasta is tender, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta. Set aside.
Step four: cook the chicken
Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a clean plate and set aside.
Step four: make the sauce
Reduce the heat in the skillet to medium low. Melt the butter, then add the heavy cream and pesto and stir, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the Parmesan and stir until melted and well combined, about 2 minutes.
Step five: combine the pasta and the sauce
Add the pasta, reserved pasta water, 1 teaspoon salt, and frozen peas. Cook, stirring, until the pasta is well coated in the sauce and the peas are tender, about 3 minutes. Taste and add more salt, as desired.
Step six: finish and serve!
Remove from the heat and stir in the basil. Slice the chicken breasts and nestle on top of the pasta, then garnish with more grated Parmesan and fresh basil. Enjoy!
Recipe FAQs:
You sure can! I love to sub fusilli in this recipe when needed.
Absolutely! This meal is super easy to customize based on what you have on hand. Broccoli has worked for me in a pinch, but cut asparagus or green beans are also great options.
There are dairy-free substitutes you can use for butter and Parmesan cheese, and you can always swap full-fat coconut cream instead of heavy cream. It won’t have the exact same creaminess, but those swaps are a great way to make this into a creamy dairy-free option.
I hope your family loves this Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta as much as mine does! Let me know what you think after you try it.
Looking for more family-friendly pasta dishes? Try these!
Sausage, Broccoli, and Pesto Pasta
Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 16 ounces casarecce pasta
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup basil pesto
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced basil leaves, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Meanwhile, place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and cover with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet, pound the chicken until it is a uniform 1/2-inch thickness. Pat dry with paper towels. Season both sides with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Set aside.
- When the water reaches a boil, add the uncooked pasta and a big pinch of salt (about 1 tablespoon) and cook until al dente, according to package directions. When the pasta is tender, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a clean plate and set aside.
- When the pasta is tender, reserve ½ cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta. Set aside.
- Reduce the heat in the skillet to medium low. Melt the butter, then add the heavy cream and pesto and stir, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the Parmesan and stir until melted and well combined, about 2 minutes.
- Add the pasta, reserved pasta water, 1 teaspoon salt, and frozen peas. Cook, stirring, until the pasta is well coated in the sauce and the peas are tender, about 3 minutes. Taste and add more salt, as desired.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the basil. Slice the chicken breasts and nestle on top of the pasta, then garnish with more grated Parmesan and fresh basil. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Food Photography and Styling by Eat Love Eats.
Made it twice this month so far! So perfect!
Love that!! Thanks, Katie!
Do you think this would be ok to make the sauce and pasta ahead and then reheat? Planning on making for a family dinner – and don’t want to be in the kitchen too long with guests. Also planning to grill chicken right ahead for easier clean up then in house.
Hi! this shouldn’t be a problem- other than just to reserve some pasta water because you might need a little liquid to thin out the sauce/rehydrate the noodles when combining it all together! Broth will also work here!
Do you make your own pesto? Recipe please!
I purchase mine from the prepared foods bar at Central Market a lot of the time (it tastes like homemade). Here is my homemade recipe: https://thedefineddish.com/lemon-basil-pesto/
Sometimes I do, and sometimes I use store-bought if I’m in a pinch! I have a lemon-basil pesto recipe that works great here! Lemon-Basil Pesto
Alex, do you use your fresh lemon-basil pesto recipe for this dish?
I either use fresh, or I get mine from Central Market (they have a fresh one in their prepared foods section).
You absolutely can! I also sometimes use store bought pesto if I’m in a pinch!
This was so good! My whole family loved it!
Yay! Thanks for sharing!
Made this for having friends over. Everyone loved it! Definitely will add to our meal routine.
This was delicious! Kids and hubs loved it. Subbed heavy cream with marscapone (because I had it).
Thank you!!
So good! Thank you, Alex!
Glad you loved it!
She does it again! Easy, delicious comfort meal I’ll have on rotation this fall. I used gluten free pasta and had no issues with the swap. So thankful for delicious recipes that are easy to make gf. Defined Dish is my favorite place to get recipes!
So happy you loved it, thank you so much for the kind words!!!
Do you think this would work with Banza pasta?
yes this will work with any pasta since cooking it separately! It’s only the one pot pasta’s I am more picky about!