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4-Ingredient Spring Pesto Pasta

This 4-Ingredient Spring Pesto Pasta is a fast and healthy easy dinner recipe that's bursting with fresh flavor!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword Pesto pasta, Spring Pasta
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Total Time 12 minutes
Servings 4 (1 1/2 cup servings)
Calories 248kcal
Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (4 ounces) uncooked wagon wheel pasta (can substitute with other small pasta, such as penne)
  • ½ cup frozen peas thawed
  • 1/3 cup prepared pesto sauce (or more or less pesto sauce, to taste)
  • 1 cup diced cooked chicken (such as leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken)

Instructions

  • Boil pasta according to package instructions. Stir in peas, pesto, and chicken until completely combined. Serve immediately.

Notes

Which pasta is good with pesto sauce?
I've used Wagon Wheel (or "Rotelle") pasta here, but you can substitute with any similar short pasta. I like pesto penne pasta, rotini pasta and elbow macaroni as well!
What meat goes with pesto pasta?
This is a pesto pasta chicken recipe, but you can substitute with other protein options. We love pesto pasta with tuna and pesto pasta with shrimp, too!
Make this Pesto Pasta Vegetarian!
For a vegetarian dish, omit the chicken and add any of your family's favorite vegetables instead. Good options include cooked broccoli, additional peas, and sautéed zucchini, squash, or bell peppers.
How many cups of pesto per one pound of pasta?
I've included a specific amount of pesto and pasta in this recipe, but it's really just a matter of taste. You can add more (or less) pesto depending on your family's preference.
A typical ratio is 3/4 cup of pesto per 1 pound of pasta. You can always add a bit of the pasta cooking water to thin the sauce, as necessary, too. If you're adding other ingredients to your pasta (such as the chicken and the peas), you may need more pesto sauce to fully coat the dish.
Can you eat pesto pasta cold?
Absolutely! This dish is delicious warm, at room temperature, or chilled!
Can pesto pasta be frozen?
Pesto sauce freezes very well on its own. If you have leftover pasta that's dressed in the pesto sauce, you can also freeze that pasta; however, the texture may be slightly mushy when it's thawed. It will still be edible -- just not quite as good as the original!
Can pesto pasta be reheated?
Yes! I often just reheat the kids' leftovers in the microwave for their lunch the next day. A bowl of pesto pasta should only require about 1 minute in the microwave.
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 239mg | Potassium: 249mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 555IU | Vitamin C: 7.7mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 0.9mg