Pesto Cream Pasta with Chicken and Broccoli

Creamy chicken pesto pasta with broccoli takes advantage of a few shortcuts for an easy and flavorful 30-minute meal!

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Keyword basil pesto cream, creamy chicken pesto pasta, pesto chicken pasta recipe, pesto cream chicken, pesto cream pasta, pesto cream sauce

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings people

Calories 665kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

½ lb. uncooked penne pasta (or sub with another short pasta, such as rigatoni, rotini, farfalle, or fusilli)
1 cup fresh broccoli florets, chopped into bite-size pieces
3 tablespoons salted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream, at room temperature
2 tablespoons basil pesto (we like this homemade pesto or this store-bought Giovanni Rana pesto)
½ cup finely-grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups cooked, pulled or diced chicken (such as the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken)
¼ cup chopped, toasted pecans, optional
Optional garnish: crushed red pepper flakes, lemon wedges, additional Parmesan, chopped fresh parsley or fresh basil

Instructions

Cook the pasta in a large pot of well salted boiling water for 1 minute less than al dente, according to package instructions. During the final 2 minutes of the cooking time, add the broccoli florets to the boiling water with the pasta. Drain.
Meanwhile, melt the 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 the 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 and other optional toppings if desired.

Notes

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.

Nutrition