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Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta takes advantage of a few store-bought shortcuts for a quick, easy and flavorful stovetop dinner! Toss tender pasta, rotisserie chicken, and fresh broccoli in a creamy pesto sauce that’s seasoned with garlic and Parmesan cheese. A sprinkling of rich, toasted pecans is the perfect finishing touch on this simple 30-minute meal. Serve it with a side of crusty garlic bread or a French baguette to soak up any extra sauce!
Pesto Chicken Pasta Recipe
My boys have loved pesto pasta for as long as they could chew solid foods, so I’m always looking for new and different ways to keep this family-favorite interesting, delicious, and easy! By adding some chicken and broccoli, then jazzing up the sauce with a touch of heavy cream and plenty of freshly-grated Parmesan, I landed on this creamy pesto chicken pasta recipe that’s absolutely a winner! Best of all, it doesn’t require much more time or effort than simply boiling a pot of noodles. You’ll love the shortcuts that get this weeknight dinner on the table from start to finish in about 30 minutes!
What is pesto cream sauce made of?
If you have a garden full of fresh basil, then you might be very happy to whip up your own batch of homemade pesto from scratch in the blender or food processor. Pesto is a classic Italian sauce that’s made with a simple blend of basil, olive oil, garlic, pine nuts, grated cheese and (sometimes) butter.
If you’re looking for a shortcut, or if you don’t have much fresh basil available, then just grab a jar of store-bought pesto to use in this dish (we like Classico brand). To make a pesto cream sauce, you’ll cook the traditional pesto in a skillet with butter, garlic, chicken broth, cream and Parmesan cheese. It’s obviously a delicious combination — and a great twist on the classic Italian sauce.
Ingredients
This is a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need to prepare a pan of creamy chicken pesto pasta. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Pasta: I used penne pasta here, but you can substitute with any pasta shape that you prefer.
- Broccoli: fresh broccoli florets cut into bite-size pieces. You can substitute with frozen broccoli florets, if necessary.
- Butter: to sauté the garlic and add flavor to the sauce.
- Garlic: a primary ingredient for seasoning any great pesto pasta recipe.
- Chicken broth and heavy cream: the liquid base for the sauce.
- Pesto: use either homemade pesto or a jar of store-bought sauce.
- Parmesan cheese: freshly-grated to a very fine consistency melts smoothest into the sauce.
- Chicken: you’ll need about 2 cups of cooked, shredded chicken for this dish. I like to use a store-bought rotisserie chicken for convenience, but you can certainly boil your own chicken at home if you prefer.
- Pecans: the rich, toasted pecans add just the right crunch on top!
- Crushed red pepper flakes, lemon wedges, and chopped fresh herbs: for an optional garnish on each plate.
Which pasta is best for pesto?
You have a lot of options when it comes to the pasta that you pair with this creamy pesto sauce. Some folks like a long pasta like spaghetti or linguine, while we prefer shorter shapes with plenty of curves, ridges or grooves for the sauce to cling to. I used penne here, but other good options include bowtie, fusilli, rotini, shells, orecchiette or radiatore.
How to Cook Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta
Prep all of your ingredients in advance, because this meal comes together quickly on the stovetop!
- Boil the pasta and broccoli in salted water, then drain.
- Simmer the pesto cream sauce in a large skillet.
- Add the cooked pasta, broccoli and chicken to the sauce.
- Simmer gently so that the sauce bubbles and thickens, about 2 more minutes.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Garnish with toasted pecans, lemon wedges, red pepper flakes, extra Parmesan or fresh herbs, if desired.
- Serve and enjoy!
What to Serve with a Creamy Pesto Pasta Recipe
This is basically a one pot meal, thanks to the chicken, pasta and broccoli in the same bowl. If you’d like to complete the meal with a couple of easy sides, here are some good options that pair nicely with the easy creamy pesto chicken pasta:
- A simple green salad dressed in balsamic vinaigrette
- House Salad with Candied Pecans
- Crusty Baguette or a loaf of No-Knead Bread
- Homemade Focaccia
- Garlic Bread
- Sauteed Spinach with Garlic
- Roasted Asparagus
- Corn and Zucchini Gratin
Storage
This dish is best served immediately while the sauce is warm and the broccoli is fresh. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat the pasta and sauce gently over low heat on the stovetop just until warmed through, or put individual portions in a microwave-safe bowl, cover, and warm for about 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to boil the sauce. Overcooked pasta will also become gummy and mushy, while the chicken can be tough and the broccoli can get mushy.
I do not recommend freezing the chicken pesto pasta, as the cream sauce may “break” when thawed and the pasta and broccoli will have a gummy, mushy texture.
Recipe Variations
- Any small pasta shape will work. I’ve shown penne here, which is great because the noodles soak up and hold onto the sauce in a really nice way. Other good options include radiatore, orecchiette, medium shells, fusilli, rotini or bowtie pasta.
- Add spinach or frozen peas at the end of the cooking time. Spinach and peas only need a couple of minutes to soften in the dish.
- Instead of chicken, use Italian sausage. Just make sure to brown and drain the sausage before adding it to the skillet.
- Add a can of drained, petite-diced tomatoes or swap out the broccoli for fresh cherry tomatoes. Sundried tomatoes would also be great in this dish.
- Sautéed sliced mushrooms would be a nice addition to the pasta as well.
- Fresh herbs will add great flavor! Try extra basil, parsley, chives, thyme or oregano.
- Add cooked, chopped bacon or pancetta to the pasta.
- Omit the pecans, or substitute with toasted almonds, pine nuts, hazelnuts or walnuts.
Tips for the Best Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta Recipe
- Cook the pasta just slightly less than al dente (about 1 minute shorter than called for on the package), because the pasta will continue to cook in the skillet with the sauce. You don’t want to end up with overdone, mushy pasta at the end!
- Use freshly-grated Parmesan (not the canned pre-grated stuff), and make sure that it’s shredded to a very fine consistency on a microplane or on the smallest side of a box grater. This will ensure that the Parmesan melts smoothly into the cream sauce.
- Do not substitute with half-and-half or whole milk in this sauce. The heavy cream provides the best texture and flavor, and is the least likely to separate when simmered in the skillet.
- Make sure that the cream is at room temperature when you add it to the skillet. This will help to prevent it from curdling or separating in the pan.
- Garnish each serving with additional Parmesan, lemon wedges, crushed red pepper flakes (for heat), or chopped fresh herbs for even more flavor in every bite!
More Recipes to Try with Pesto
- Dump-and-Bake Pesto Chicken
- Turkey and Pesto Slow Cooker Lasagna
- Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake
- Tomato Pesto Pasta with Grilled Chicken
Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta with Broccoli
Ingredients
- ½ lb. dry penne pasta
- 1 cup broccoli florets, chopped into bite-size pieces
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons homemade or store-bought pesto
- ½ cup finely-grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups cooked chicken (such as shredded rotisserie chicken)
- ¼ cup chopped toasted pecans, optional
- Optional garnish: crushed red pepper flakes, lemon wedges, additional Parmesan, chopped fresh parsley or basil
Instructions
- Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water for 1 minute less than al dente, according to package instructions (that was about 10 minutes total for my box of penne). During the final 2 minutes of cooking time, add the broccoli florets to the boiling water with the pasta. Drain.
- Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the chicken broth, increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce heat so that the liquid is at a gentle simmer. Stir in the cream, pesto and Parmesan until smooth.
- Add the cooked pasta, broccoli and chicken to the sauce. Let it bubble and thicken slightly, stirring frequently, until all of the ingredients are warmed through, about 2 more minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Garnish with toasted pecans, red pepper flakes and chopped herbs, if desired.
Notes
- Cook the pasta just slightly less than al dente (about 1 minute shorter than called for on the package), because the pasta will continue to cook in the skillet with the sauce. You don’t want to end up with overdone, mushy pasta at the end!
- Use freshly-grated Parmesan (not the canned pre-grated stuff), and make sure that it’s shredded to a very fine consistency on a microplane or on the smallest side of a box grater. This will ensure that the Parmesan melts smoothly into the cream sauce.
- Do not substitute with half-and-half or whole milk in this sauce. The heavy cream provides the best texture and flavor, and is the least likely to separate when simmered in the skillet.
- Make sure that the cream is at room temperature when you add it to the skillet. This will help to prevent it from curdling or separating in the pan.
