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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.
I lived this recipe – the only thing I would caution others on is the salt in the pasta. I normally salt my pasta water heavily. It’s best to follow your instructions and add salt as you go.
Wonderful recipe – will repeat many times!
Hi Alex,
Made this for dinner tonight, it was super tasty and a crowd pleaser! Question for you, is there a way to transform this into a pasta salad the next day? If so, do you have any great suggestions on how to do that :)?
Thank you…Ronda
Hi! I love a pesto pasta salad- but I think transforming this recipe into that wouldn’t be the most efficient. I wouldn’t use heavy creamer in a pasta salad, because it also kinda dries up things in the fridge. I’d prefer the pasta + pesto, mayo or greek yogurt to make a good pasta salad.
I never leave recipe reviews, but I had to for this one because my kids loved it!! I replaced the chicken with salmon because that’s what I had but did everything as described for the noodles. They loved it and it’s definitely going into the rotation. We call them green noodles because pesto sounds scary 😉
This is a family favorite! I’ve made it maybe half a dozen times and it’s always a favorite with a slice of sourdough.
such a good go to for the fam!
What type of pesto are we using? (If purchasing not homemade)
I buy my storebought pesto at central market- they make it in house and sell in the prepared section! I also love the Kirkland pesto at Costco!
Family loved it! Used chickpea pasta and they all raved about it. Thank you.
Glad it was a big hit!
Such a winner! Crowd pleaser for sure!
Pretty good! I think the only thing it’s missing is garlic. Sautee with the butter before adding the cream and pesto will take this to the next level. Very simple recipe that our family enjoyed!
My picky 2.5 year old loved it! He yelled “yummy” and had seconds.
I also love the pesto pasta from North Italia and this helps satisfy that craving. So good and so quick!
Any good suggestions for making this diary free/just a smidge on the lighter side?
You could do some unsweetened coconut milk in place of the heavy creamer
Absolutely loved this dish, even my picker eaters loved it! (Kids) and they are my most picky food critics haha, definitely will make this for them again 😁
AMAZING!!
Can I prep everything to bake for the next day?