Dump-and-Bake Chicken Pesto Pasta

4.50 from 2 votes

Dump-and-Bake Chicken Pesto Pasta

This chicken pesto pasta bake is a quick and easy dinner that requires less than 10 minutes of prep! No boiling pasta or pre-cooking chicken in this tasty one-pot Italian-inspired pasta bake.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Keyword chicken pesto pasta, dump and bake, Pasta Bake

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Total Time 55

Servings servings

Calories 361.5kcal

Author The Seasoned Mom

Ingredients

1 lb. raw boneless skinless chicken breasts diced into bite-size pieces
1 ½ cups uncooked rotini pasta
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes halved
½ cup fresh mozzarella diced or pearls
1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup pesto sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup fresh basil leaves chopped or torn, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
In the prepared dish (or in a separate bowl), stir together uncooked chicken, uncooked pasta, tomatoes, and diced mozzarella.
1 lb. raw boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1 ½ cups uncooked rotini pasta, 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, ½ cup fresh mozzarella
In a separate bowl, whisk together chicken broth, pesto sauce, minced garlic, and salt.
1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth, ¼ cup pesto sauce, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt
Pour the broth mixture over the pasta mixture in the dish. Gently toss to combine.
Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
Uncover; stir. At this point you should check the pasta to make sure that it is al dente (firm but just about finished cooking). If it’s still too hard, cover the dish and return to the oven until pasta is al dente. Then move on to the next step.
Sprinkle Parmesan over the top. Bake uncovered for 5-10 more minutes (or until pasta is tender and sauce thickens a bit).
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Garnish with fresh basil just before serving.
¼ cup fresh basil leaves

Video

Notes

To cut down on oven time, boil the pasta until just before al dente and use pre-cooked shredded rotisserie chicken. Reduce the baking time to 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Add more flavor with extra seasonings. Season the chicken with onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper. Add some heat with red pepper flakes, or use your favorite Italian seasoning blend.
Make sure the pasta is mostly submerged in the pesto broth mixture before baking to ensure all of your pasta is fully cooked and tender.
You can swap out regular pasta for gluten-free pasta, whole wheat pasta, or another type of pasta for your specific diet.
Make a creamy pesto chicken pasta by mixing alfredo sauce with your favorite pesto, or use a creamy pesto sauce!
The fresh basil garnish is optional but highly recommended for that fresh, herby flavor!
You can make this dish vegetarian by simply leaving out the chicken and swapping in vegetable broth – it's just as delicious!
Some store-bought pesto sauces have a higher oil content than homemade basil pesto. If your pesto is more oily, reduce the amount slightly to avoid excess oil in the dish.
Cooking for two? Simply half the ingredients and bake the chicken pesto pasta in a smaller dish.

Nutrition