Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta

• Pasta – I used penne pasta but feel free to use your favorite pasta instead. This recipe will work with all pasta shapes like spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine, bow tie, or other tube-type pasta like ziti or rigatoni.
• Chicken – The recipe cuts the chicken into chunks to make cooking easier. If you prefer sliced chicken or don’t like mixing your chicken with the sauce, try cooking them whole instead. Pound the chicken to an even thickness or slice two large chicken breasts lengthwise to get 4 evenly sized chicken cutlets. Season with Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt and pepper on both sides. Cook until the chicken’s internal temperature reads 165°F on an instant-read thermometer or the chicken is no longer pink, about 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into thick slices. Top your pasta with the chicken before serving.

• Butter – This recipe uses salted butter so if you substitute it with unsalted butter, do a taste test and add more salt as needed. I like using Land O Lakes half butter sticks which measure out the tablespoons for you. Simply slice a block off from the stick for each tablespoon and skip washing a measuring spoon!
• Garlic – I used fresh garlic but you can substitute it with garlic powder. I highly recommend fresh garlic though for better flavor. Pesto already has a little garlic in there so we’re just using a few cloves of additional garlic for more flavor.
• Chicken broth – I like using Better than Bouillon roasted chicken base and mixing the paste with water to make the chicken broth. One teaspoon is equal to one bouillon cube which makes one cup of broth.

• Heavy cream – Heavy cream and Parmesan cheese are what makes the sauce creamy and thick with rich Alfredo-like flavors.
• Parmesan cheese – Try using freshly grated Parmesan cheese because the pre-shredded stuff has some non-clumping chemicals in it. This affects the way the cheese melts into the sauce and will give you a lumpy sauce. I usually buy a block of Parmesan and grate it with a box grater.
• Mozzarella cheese – Mozzarella adds a little cheesiness and richness to the sauce.

• Pesto – I used store-bought pesto for convenience but feel free to make your own if you have fresh basil in your garden! The recipe uses 6-7 oz. which works up to be a little under 1 cup of pesto.

What is Pesto?

Pesto is a bright green sauce that is made with fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil and a hard cheese like Parmesan, Parmigiano-Reggiano, or Pecorino. You can make it the traditional way using a mortar and pestle or the modern way with a food processor.

Why is Pesto Not Added While Cooking?

Pesto is a raw sauce that tastes best when fresh and uncooked. The taste, flavor and aroma degrades quickly when heated up and the pesto will turn brown and taste bitter and sour. Keeping this in mind, add a dollop or two of fresh pesto to the warmed-up pasta when reheating this dish to freshen the pesto flavor.

• Leftovers and reheating – The pasta will keep in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop. You may need to add more heavy cream or milk to loosen up the cream sauce after it has set in the fridge.