Description
Creamy pesto chicken pasta pairs your favorite pasta with a rich and cheesy sauce bursting with the fresh flavors of garlic and basil pesto.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 16 oz. penne pasta, cooked al dente
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt, or to taste
- 1/ 8 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 7 oz. basil pesto
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, season the cubed chicken with Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt and pepper and mix well.
- In a Dutch oven or large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and add olive oil. Sear the chicken until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer cooked chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium and melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in the same skillet. Saute garlic for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in chicken broth and heavy cream. Scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, stir to mix them in with the sauce and bring the sauce to a gentle boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and add Parmesan and mozzarella cheese in small batches, stirring continuously until the cheese melts smoothly into the sauce.
- Do a taste test and adjust seasonings if needed. Stirring every now and then, simmer until the sauce has thickened, about 8 minutes.
- Add cooked pasta, chicken with plate juices and pesto to the pot and stir to combine until the pasta is fully coated in the cream sauce.
- Dish and serve hot.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Pesto is added to the sauce just before serving because the taste, flavor and aroma degrades quickly when heated up. The pesto will turn brown and taste bitter and sour so it’s best to add it in towards the end and to replenish any leftover reheated pasta with fresh pesto.
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Add some veggies – Add some fresh baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, or mushrooms to bulk up and compliment the pasta with more fresh flavors.
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Make it richer – Add a few tablespoons of cream cheese for a richer cream sauce.
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Add some heat – Add a few shakes of crushed red pepper for a little spice.
- Scroll up to RECIPE TIPS for more useful tips, suggestions and ingredient substitutions.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins