Description
A comforting one-pot pasta dish featuring chicken and a luscious pesto cream sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- 10.5 ounces penne or rigatoni pasta
- 2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced (about 10.5 ounces total)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup basil pesto (store-bought or homemade)
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 3.5 ounces baby spinach (optional, for extra nutrition)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil and cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than package directions; aim for just under al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the diced chicken with salt and pepper, then sauté until golden and cooked through, about 5–6 minutes. Remove from the skillet.
- In the same skillet, reduce the heat to medium, add butter, and let it melt. Add minced garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in the heavy cream and milk, gently simmering for 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in the basil pesto and grated Parmesan until smooth.
- Return the chicken, drained pasta, and spinach (if using) to the skillet, tossing until everything is well coated in the sauce.
- Transfer the mixture into the greased baking dish and sprinkle shredded mozzarella and extra Parmesan on top.
- Bake uncovered for 20–25 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
- Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
For variations, try sun-dried tomato or roasted red pepper sauce instead of pesto.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 80mg
Keywords: creamy pasta, chicken pasta, pesto pasta, comfort food