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    Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta

    By Julia | Updated: Sep 12, 2022 | Published: Jun 28, 2021 | 259 Comments

    756.1K shares
    • Facebook2.7K
    Jump to Recipe Print SaveSaved!
    This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our affiliate policy.

    Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta is a great choice for a simple weeknight dinner.  The recipe uses basic everyday ingredients and is perfect for family meals.  You can use homemade or store-bought basil pesto.

    Chicken Pesto Bow-Tie Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and Pine Nuts on a plate

     

    Pesto Chicken Pasta in a stainless steel pan

    Chicken Pesto Pasta - versatile and easily adjustable recipe

    This chicken pesto pasta is one of those recipes that you can easily adapt to what you have on hand.  The main ingredients, of course, include the basil pesto, chicken breasts (seared and thinly sliced), and pasta.  Basil pesto always goes well with tomatoes, so I highly recommend that you incorporate fresh tomatoes in this recipe.  I used cherry tomatoes that I roasted in olive oil and garlic at the same time I prepared the pasta - they were a wonderful addition!  You can also add sliced fresh tomatoes without roasting them, use sun-dried tomatoes, or skip them altogether.

    You might also like this pesto chicken pasta with mushrooms or pesto chicken tortellini.

    Pesto Chicken Pasta in a stainless steel pan

    What type of pasta to use

    Because this recipe uses small-size ingredients, such as sliced chicken and roasted tomatoes, I recommend that you use short pasta, such as farfalle (bow-tie pasta), fusilli (spiral pasta), penne, or rigatoni.

    How to make Chicken Pesto Pasta

    • Prepare the chicken by seasoning it with paprika, salt, and pepper.  Use thinly sliced chicken breasts - this will shorten the cooking time considerably.  This recipe uses 1.5 lb chicken which usually equates to 2 large chicken breasts.  Slice each one in half horizontally before searing.
    • Sear the chicken in olive oil, seasoned with paprika, salt, and pepper, on medium-high heat until it's no longer pink in the center.  When the chicken is done, remove it to a plate and slice it thinly.
    • Cook the pasta in boiling water according to package instructions.  That usually means 10 or 15 minutes.  Drain.
    • Make the sauce by adding basil pesto and cream, to the pan.  Add cooked and drained pasta.  Toss and reheat gently.
    • Roast cherry tomatoes tossed in olive oil and minced garlic while you prepare the chicken pesto pasta.
    • Assemble the pasta adding sliced cooked chicken and roasted cherry tomatoes on top of pasta with pesto sauce.

    Below are some photos illustrating the cooking process:

    cooked chicken breasts, roasted tomatoes, and cooked bow-tie pasta in a large skillet

    sliced cooked chicken breasts, roasted tomatoes, and cooked bow-tie pasta in a large skillet

    sliced cooked chicken, roasted tomatoes on top of bow tie pasta in a large skillet

    What to serve with chicken pesto pasta

    • A slice of garlic bread or olive bread.
    • A side salad, such as this simple spinach salad or arugula salad with pine nuts.

    Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta on a white plate

    Cooking Tips and Recipe Notes

    • This is a great recipe to use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken.  Just throw it together with the pasta, heat it through, and serve!
    • The cream is optional.  The heavy cream adds creaminess to the sauce and also balances out the basil pesto flavor which can be quite strong.  However, you can omit the cream altogether. Either version of the pasta will be delicious!
    • Add cheese.  You can add freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top of chicken pesto pasta.
    • Add pine nuts as a topping. Since basil pesto is usually made with pine nuts, it's only logical to use whole pine nuts as topping for the pesto pasta, if you wish.  I did, and they added an amazing extra flavor touch!
    • Add veggies.  Tomatoes roasted in olive oil and garlic are a great addition to chicken pesto pasta.  You can also use regular tomatoes (without roasting them first), sun-dried tomatoes, or mushrooms.
    • Make it spicy. Add red pepper flakes if you would like to make your pasta spicy.
    • Serving size. The recipe uses 8 ounces of pasta which makes a total of 4 servings.

    Chicken Pesto Pasta in a stainless steel pan

    Other chicken pesto pasta recipes

    • Basil Pesto Tortellini with Chicken and Zucchini
    • Chicken Ravioli with Pesto and Veggies
    Pesto Chicken Pasta
    4.83 from 932 votes

    Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta

    This delicious Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta is a great choice for a simple weeknight dinner.  The recipe uses basic everyday ingredients and is perfect for family meals.  You can use store-bought basil pesto or make your own.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 40 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American, Italian
    Servings 4 people
    Calories per serving 764 kcal
    Author: Julia

    Ingredients

    Roasted Tomatoes

    • 10 oz cherry tomatoes (sliced in half)
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 3 cloves garlic minced

    Chicken Pesto Pasta

    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1.5 lb chicken breast (2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts)
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon paprika
    • 8 oz pasta (bow-tie, penne, or fusilli)
    • ¼ cup basil pesto
    • ½ cup heavy cream
    • ¼ cup pine nuts (optional)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions 

    • Preheat oven to 400 F. Toss cherry tomatoes, sliced in half, with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and minced garlic. Spread in a casserole dish. Roast for about 20 minutes while you prepare the pasta.
    • Prepare the chicken. This recipe uses 1.5 lb of chicken breasts which usually means 2 large chicken breasts. Make sure to use thinly sliced chicken breasts. Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally. Season them with salt, pepper, and paprika.
    • Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet until hot. Add chicken and cook for about 5 minutes per each side until it's cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate. Slice it thinly.
    • Bring a pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain.
    • Add cooked and drained pasta, basil pesto, and cream to the same skillet that you used to sear chicken. Stir gently and bring to simmer to coat pasta with sauce.
    • Top with sliced cooked chicken, roasted tomatoes and pine nuts (optional). Season with extra salt and pepper or add crushed red pepper flakes, if desired.

    Notes

    • Want to make basil pesto from scratch?  Here is the best, the most flavorful, and the creamiest 20-Minute Homemade Basil Pesto Recipe.
    • Adjust the amount of basil pesto.  This recipe uses ¼ cup of pesto.  Feel free to add extra tablespoons of pesto to your taste.
    • Add extra toppings. Lightly toasted pine nuts and freshly grated Parmesan cheese add extra flavor and texture.
    • Use extra veggies.  If you want to add more vegetables, add sliced fresh tomatoes, sliced cooked asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes, or mushrooms.
    • Add spiciness. Add red pepper flakes if you would like to make your pasta spicy.
    • Adjust seasonings. Even though the basil pesto tends to be salty, do taste the final dish before serving and season it with extra salt and pepper, if needed.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Information
    Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    764
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    42
    g
    65
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    11
    g
    69
    %
    Trans Fat
     
    1
    g
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    6
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    16
    g
    Cholesterol
     
    151
    mg
    50
    %
    Sodium
     
    511
    mg
    22
    %
    Potassium
     
    997
    mg
    28
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    49
    g
    16
    %
    Fiber
     
    3
    g
    13
    %
    Sugar
     
    4
    g
    4
    %
    Protein
     
    47
    g
    94
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    1212
    IU
    24
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    19
    mg
    23
    %
    Calcium
     
    79
    mg
    8
    %
    Iron
     
    3
    mg
    17
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Nutrition Disclaimer:

    The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    Keyword chicken pesto pasta
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Jackie Kinsman

      April 16, 2025 at 2:19 pm

      This was such a good recipe and easy. I added lots more pesto because my family likes it but kept the cream the same. I think my chicken was too much I’ll cut back on that next time. Thank you for this

      Reply
      • Julia

        May 08, 2025 at 7:01 pm

        You're very welcome, Jackie. Thank you for taking the time to share your 5-star review! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Joy DeNicola

      December 06, 2024 at 10:13 pm

      I made this recipe last night for dinner, and it was fantastic. It is a quick, easy, elegant and very delicious. My husband raved about it and asked me to make it again really soon. I made a vegetarian version - no chicken, although I will make it again with the chicken and I think another version with shrimp would also be wonderful. I like the versatility of the recipe and the taste was superb. Thank you, Julia. This is a real winner.

      Reply
    3. Cassandra

      November 20, 2024 at 3:50 pm

      SO good!!

      Reply
      • Julia

        November 20, 2024 at 11:21 pm

        Thanks, Cassandra!

        Reply
    4. Trina

      November 11, 2024 at 12:45 pm

      Can you freeze this .

      Reply
      • Julia

        November 11, 2024 at 6:47 pm

        Yes, you can freeze it, but skip the cream, as it will lose its texture when frozen. Add the cream after thawing when you reheat it.

        Reply
    5. Jerry Runser

      November 05, 2024 at 1:24 pm

      This is one of my new favorites. I use more cherry tomatoes but otherwise like the recipe just as it is. I also add the optional pine nuts and pepper flakes.

      Reply
      • Julia

        November 09, 2024 at 11:33 pm

        Thank you for taking the time to leave such a great review, Jerry! The more cherry tomatoes, the better!

        Reply
        • Lisa

          February 24, 2025 at 3:41 am

          Can you substitute sun dried tomatoes for the cherry tomatoes?

          Reply
          • Julia

            February 25, 2025 at 3:34 pm

            Yes, you can use sun-dried tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes. You don't need to roast them in the oven, just add them with the sauce.

            Reply
        • Norma Hargraves

          June 15, 2025 at 10:20 pm

          If made ahead of time, how do you recommend reheating?
          Thank you!

          Reply
          • Julia

            June 17, 2025 at 4:23 pm

            Hi Norma, Here are my reheating tips:

            To reheat on the stovetop, add the pasta to a skillet with a splash of cream, milk, or water (about 1–2 tablespoons) to loosen the sauce. Warm over medium-low heat (not high and not boiling, just simmering!!), stirring occasionally until heated through. Avoid high heat to prevent the cream sauce from separating. If the dish seems dry, add a bit more liquid as needed while reheating.
            Store roasted tomatoes separately if possible for best results.

            Reply
    6. Cat

      September 16, 2024 at 6:59 pm

      absolutely delicious. I took a leftover roast chicken and use the meat. I am the spaces and heating the chicken and then following the rest of the recipe as per the instructions.

      Reply
      • Julia

        September 16, 2024 at 7:32 pm

        Yay, Cat, so glad you loved it! And thank you for taking the time to leave the review! ❤️❤️ (reviews are so important for a food blog like mine).

        Reply
    7. Helen Adair

      August 27, 2024 at 2:55 pm

      Do you really need the cream? Can you use half and half. That my husband uses for coffee

      Reply
    8. Barb Levy

      August 27, 2024 at 9:47 am

      I am thinking of making this ahead and serving as a chilled pasta salad. Do you think it would be good?

      Reply
      • Julia

        August 28, 2024 at 4:21 pm

        Hi Barb! You don't really need the cream, especially if you serve it as a chilled pasta salad. You can add a touch of mayo to the basil pesto if you like.

        Here is my homemade version of basil pesto:

        https://juliasalbum.com/basil-pesto/

        Reply
        • Denise

          February 17, 2025 at 11:12 am

          Cna you use half and half?

          Reply
          • Julia

            February 19, 2025 at 10:25 am

            Hi Denise! Yes, you can!

            Reply
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    Julia is the author of JuliasAlbum.com (a food blog focused on easy dinner recipes, pasta dishes, salads made with seasonal ingredients). In this photo, Julia is pictured wearing a yellow sweater against an Autumn background.

    Hi, I'm Julia!

    I am a full-time food blogger living in beautiful Colorado. I focus primarily on savory recipes (protein-based & fiber-rich main dishes, pasta, salads) using fresh & seasonal ingredients. A food blogger since 2012, I help home cooks create well-balanced and visually appealing dinners (many of which are 30-minute ONE-PAN meals). Find out more about me and my cooking philosophy. 

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