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Home / Latest Posts / Recipes / Ingredients / Poultry / Chicken / Pesto Chicken Pasta

Pesto Chicken Pasta

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By: Leigh Anne WilkesPosted: 11/19/18Updated: 9/10/20

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see disclosure policy here.

pesto chicken bake in a dish

Cheesy, delicious and full of flavor, Pesto Chicken Pasta is a recipe you must try!  This yummy pasta dish is a recipe your entire family will enjoy.

pesto chicken pasta

Last week I was totally craving pasta and cheese. I thought about making this yummy Baked Ziti with Spinach and Sausage but I didn’t have any sausage and I had some chicken that needed to be used.

I also wanted something a little different, not a tomato based dish, so I decided to use pesto and balsamic vinegar instead!  With some store bought pesto this dish is easy to put together.

Pesto Chicken Pasta bake in a white casserole

How to Make Pesto Chicken Pasta

  • Pound the chicken breast to 1/2 inch thick and then cover with pesto and allow to marinade for at least two hours.  Flattening the chicken allows the it to cook faster and more evenly.
  • Cover both sides of chicken with pesto.  Place in refrigerator for a couple of hours if possible.  I have also cooked it right away and it still tastes delicious.
  • After the chicken is done marinating, brown the chicken in a pan on the stove top for about 5 minutes until cooked through.  You can also bake it in the oven at 350 for about 10-15 minutes or until cooked through.

plate of pesto pasta and chicken

  • Cook your pasta according to your package directions.  Make sure not to overcook.  You want the pasta to still be firm, al dente, because it will continue to cook a bit in the oven.
  • While the noodles cook, combine the tomatoes, oil, basil, and balsamic vinegar.  Dice the pesto chicken and add to the mixture.
  • Drain the noodles and combine them with the other ingredients.  Pout the pesto chicken pasta into a 9 x 13 and cover with mozzarella cheese.  Then bake at  300 degrees until the cheese is melted.

pesto chicken casserole

Check out more of my easy pasta dinners:

Roasted Cherry Tomato Garlic & Chicken Pasta

Penne with Spinach and Chicken Sausage

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Pesto Chicken Pasta Recipe

5 from 1 vote
baked pasta in white dish

Pesto Chicken Pasta

Recipe From: Leigh Anne Wilkes
Deliciously cheesy and full of wonderful balsamic and pesto flavor.
serves: 8 servings
Prep:30 minutes
Cook:20 minutes
Total:50 minutes
Rate Recipe

Ingredients

  • 4 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
  • 1 lb penne pasta
  • 3/4 c pesto
  • 2 c tomatoes diced
  • 1/4 c olive oil
  • 1/4 c balsamic vinegar
  • 4 Tbs fresh basil chopped
  • 2 C mozzarella cheese shredded
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper

Instructions

  • Place pounded chicken breasts and pesto in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for a few hours.
  • Cook chicken in the skillet until the outside is browned and the chicken is fully cooked.  Then dice the chicken breasts into bite size pieces.
  • Cook pasta according to package directions.
  • In a bowl, mix together tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and basil.
  • Combine the tomato mixture, diced chicken, salt and pepper and cooked pasta and pour into a 9x13 pan.  Cover with shredded Mozarella.
  • Bake at 300 until cheese is melted and bubbly and mixture is heated through. Approx. 20 minutes.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 586kcal (29%) Carbohydrates: 47g (16%) Protein: 39g (78%) Fat: 25g (38%) Saturated Fat: 6g (38%) Cholesterol: 96mg (32%) Sodium: 531mg (23%) Potassium: 663mg (19%) Fiber: 2g (8%) Sugar: 4g (4%) Vitamin A: 1070IU (21%) Vitamin C: 6.7mg (8%) Calcium: 205mg (21%) Iron: 1.7mg (9%)
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full disclosure here.
Course:Main Course, Pasta Main Dish
Cuisine:Italian
baked pasta in white dish
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This recipe was originally shared on November 19, 2003

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  1. Charlie says

    Posted on 11/27 at 5:51 am

    Morning Leigh Anne!

    Eastern Canada

    Reply
  2. Jen says

    Posted on 9/30 at 8:56 am

    Where did this recipe go? I bought everything to make it tonight and now internet explorer is saying thirtyhandmadedays.com cannot be found! It looks so good and now I have no idea how to make it 🙁

    Reply
  3. Emily says

    Posted on 11/26 at 4:27 pm

    Looks yummy! I am always craving those things now I just need to convince my kids balsamic vinegar is really good.

    Reply
  4. Vicki Hodgman says

    Posted on 11/19 at 6:13 pm

    You’ve gotta cook the chicken before assembly.

    Reply
    • Leigh Anne says

      Posted on 11/19 at 8:58 pm

      Vicki,
      Yes, that’s a pretty important step 🙂 Guess I explained it in the post but forgot to include it in the recipe. I’ve updated the recipe to show you need to cook it. Thanks!!

      Reply

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