This chicken pesto pasta is a date night-worthy dinner recipe that’s ready in 20 minutes or less. Make this luxurious pasta when you’re craving a warm bowl of creamy, Italian-style comfort.
My Date-Night Worthy Chicken Pesto Pasta
This chicken pesto pasta recipe is designed to share with people you love, particularly on a date night or special night in—though it’s certainly quick enough for a weeknight dinner. I dress it up a bit with homemade basil pesto, but store-bought pesto does the trick too. Tart sun-dried tomatoes add bright bursts of flavor to balance the richness of the creamy sauce. And, Italian seasoning—either store-bought or my homemade version—adds a delicate aromatic quality.
All to say: this is not your average chicken pesto pasta recipe. I will not-so-humbly admit that I actually prefer this slightly lighter, super flavorful pesto chicken pasta to the overly rich versions I’ve sampled at Italian restaurants in the States. Serve it with my Big Easy Italian Salad, and dinner is done!
Pesto Chicken Pasta Ingredients
This pesto chicken pasta recipe uses ingredients that are easy to find year-round at just about any grocery store. You’ll need:
- Pasta: I like penne with ridges, as the little gaps work overtime to hold all the creamy sauce. (It’s the same shape I use for my creamy chicken pasta with artichoke hearts). However, any pasta shape will do, even spaghetti. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can always make your own pasta.
- Chicken: I’m admittedly a thigh person, but the creamy sauce needs a leaner meat that’s not too rich. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are just right.
- Seasonings: Kosher salt and black pepper enhance the flavor, and a final sprinkle of red pepper flakes add a kick. Italian seasoning lends an aromatic quality. I like to pillage my spice drawer and make my own Italian seasoning, however a store-bought version works well here too.
- Olive oil: Used to pan-sear the chicken. Opt for a high-quality extra virgin variety—I like our buttery Italian Nocellara for this recipe.
- Milk: Just 1/2 cup of heavy cream is all you need to make a super-rich, velvety sauce. (Or for a version without heavy cream, check out our lemon chicken pasta.)
- Parmesan: Adds a deep umami flavor to the creamy sauce. Grab whole blocks of Parmesan if you can, as they tend to be much more flavorful compared to the pre-grated tubs.
- Sun dried tomatoes: Add tangy, slightly sweet bursts of flavor and a springy texture that balances the rich pesto and chicken. Order our favorite all-natural sun-dried tomatoes from our shop, or substitute with halved cherry tomatoes in a pinch.
- Pesto: I like to keep homemade basil pesto stocked in my fridge or freezer so I can easily whip up a quick and nutritious meal on the fly, but a high-quality store-bought variety also works.
- Fresh basil leaves: A final garnish of basil leaves adds freshness, lightening the creaminess of the sauce.
How to Make Chicken Pesto Pasta
Pesto chicken pasta couldn’t be easier–have your pesto ready to go and it takes just 15 minutes! Here’s how you make it:
- Season the chicken. Cut 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces and add to a large mixing bowl. Next, season the chicken with 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning and a big pinch each of kosher salt and black pepper. Toss to coat.
- Cook the pasta. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and salt it well with about 1 tablespoon of salt. Drop the pasta in the boiling water and cook until al dente according to package instructions (about 8 to 9 minutes).
- Cook the chicken. While the pasta is cooking, add the olive oil to a large non-stick pan and heat over medium-high. Add the chicken and cook, tossing occasionally, until golden brown on the outside and cooked through, about 7 to 8 minutes.
- Drain the pasta. When the pasta is ready, reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water and drain.
- Combine. To the pan with the chicken, lower the heat and stir in the cooked pasta, 1/2 cup of heavy cream, 1/4 cup of parmesan, and 1/4 cup of sun dried tomatoes. Stir until everything is well combined. If it looks a bit dry, add a splash of the pasta cooking water (a couple of tablespoons at a time) until the pasta is glossy and coated in the creamy sauce.
- Add the pesto. Turn off the heat and take the pan off the burner. Stir in 1/2 cup of basil pesto. Finish with a sprinkle of grated parmesan, red pepper flakes to taste, and some torn fresh basil leaves. Serve.
What to Serve with Chicken Pesto Pasta
This creamy pesto chicken pasta is hearty and full of flavor–you can certainly serve it by itself and feel totally satisfied.
For an all-out date night, kick things off with a Negroni or an Aperol Spritz. Serve the pasta with some crusty bread or freshly baked Rosemary Focaccia with Roasted Garlic to capture any creamy pesto left on your plate.
For a side, I suggest staying light and fresh to balance the rich pasta sauce. A bright and crunchy Lemon Parmesan Lettuce Salad is this pasta recipe’s perfect match.
How to Store and Reheat
Store uneaten pasta covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. Chilled creamy pastas can look a little gluey even thouhgh they are totally fine.
My pro-tip for reheating creamy pastas: add a 1/4 cup of milk to the pasta. Place the pasta and milk in a saucepan over medium heat on the stovetop and stir gently to incorporate until it’s warmed through. You may need more milk depending upon how much you need to reheat. To heat in the microwave, add the milk and stir. Heat in 30 second bursts, stiring between each burst.
More Date Night-Worthy Pasta Recipes
Fish and Seafood
Scallop Pasta (Ready in 20 Minutes!)
Mediterranean Diet Recipes
Lemon Broccoli Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 8 ounces penne pasta, preferably with ridges
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, plus more for serving if you like
- 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, drained if packed in oil
- 1/2 cup basil pesto, homemade or quality store-bought, plus more if you like
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Handful of torn basil leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- Season the chicken. Add the chicken to a bowl and season with the Italian seasoning and a big pinch each of kosher salt and black pepper. Toss to coat.
- Cook the pasta. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and salt it well with about 1 tablespoon of salt. Drop the pasta in the boiling water and cook until al dente according to package instructions (about 8 to 9 minutes).
- Cook the chicken. While the pasta is cooking, add the olive oil to a large non-stick skillet and heat over medium-high. Add the chicken and cook, tossing occasionally, until golden brown on the outside and cooked through, about 7 to 8 minutes.
- Drain the pasta. When the pasta is ready, reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water and drain.
- Combine. To the pan with the chicken, lower the heat and stir in the cooked pasta, heavy cream, parmesan, and sundried tomatoes. Stir until everything is well combined. If it looks a bit dry, add a splash of the pasta cooking water (a couple tablespoons at a time) until the pasta is glossy and coated in the creamy sauce.
- Add the pesto. Turn off the heat and take the pan off the burner. Stir in the basil pesto and finish with a sprinkle of grated parmesan, red pepper flakes, and basil leaves. Serve.
Video
Notes
- Stir rather vigorously when you combine the pasta with the creamy sauce. With a good stir, pasta’s starch will release and thicken the sauce.
- Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils, honey, jams, and spices.
Nutrition
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Absolutely delicious!
Made as written with these minor changes:
Added green peas near the end; omitted red pepper flakes and fresh basil (wish I had the basil but couldn’t source it today!)
One note – the recipe says to add 1 tbsp of salt to the pasta water. 🥴 I’m assuming that’s a typo!
Hello. Excuse me this was DELICIOUS 😋 thank you! Loved the tip about stirring vigorously to thicken the sauce.
So glad you found that tip helpful. Thanks for the great review!
I measure with my heart everytime I make this dish and my whole family eats it up! Absolutely a family favorite!
Easy, delicious! The whole family loves it and every guest. Highly recommend.
We love to hear this! Thanks so much!
Such a delicious dish! So easy and straight forward to make. Made me look like a star in the kitchen. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Outstanding!! Easy. So herby and rich. I used 2 tbsp of oregano instead of Italian herb and half and half instead of cream. Still delicious. Next time I’ll try cream. I will pass this recipe around.
I absolutely love this dish! I paired it with the Green Bean Salad and the dinner was stupendously amazing! There is simply no equal in the recipe world than the Mediterranean Dish, hands down! I was recently told that I was pre-diabetic and needed to incorporate Mediterranean cuisine into my daily diet. I searched the web for many meal ideas but kept landing on this website – EVERY meal recipe is a winner from breakfast to dinner and every meal in between! Thank you, Suzy, and your entire team for bringing authentic tastes of the Mediterranean to my table with a passion for flavor and zeal for real old-world love!
What a lovely review, Dean! Thank you so much!
Sounds great! And an easy one at that. Can I use sundried tomato pesto instead if basil?
I just made this for my husband and I’m letting it sit for a bit before we eat. I can already tell from my taste testing that it is superb. The only thing I added was a little bit of onion (sauteed after doing the chicken) and some artichoke hearts based on another comment I read. Such a tasty, fresh wonderful dish. Thank you so much! Oh – and I had made my own pesto out of arugula and walnuts – delicious.
This was delicious and very easy to make!
I wanted to make something easy, yet a little special. I found your recipe, and it ticked all the boxes. It let me use some leftover ingredients and the family was really happy to eat the meal. They even asked if we could have it again. Thanks so much for sharing xoxoxox
Needed something quick, yet different for company. Used purchased pesto and doubled the recipe. Everyone loved it, even the kids. Several seconds helpings were had. Served with grilled vegetables, salad and focaccia bread. Delicious as is. Next time I will make my pesto. Definitely a keeper.
Hi, Dbaker! Sounds like you found a winner! Glad to know all of your guests, kids included, enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for taking the time to let us know.
My husband LOVED it! Very flavorful, fast and easy. I did it exactly and I wouldn’t leave out anything.
I have made this pasta for family and friends many times. It is always a hit! Tonight I added artichoke hearts. Delicious!
I add some oil from sun-dried tomato jar to the chicken when browning.
Very good and easy
However, the portions listed are off – for my family. I doubled the recipe and was perfect for 2 college age boys and 2 regular adults