This post may contain affiliate links. Please see disclosure policy here.
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.
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.
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.
- 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.
Check out more of my easy pasta dinners:
Roasted Cherry Tomato Garlic & Chicken Pasta
Penne with Spinach and Chicken Sausage
Pesto Chicken Pasta Recipe
Pesto Chicken Pasta
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:
Need some help figuring out what’s for dinner tonight?
Come join our Facebook Group! Join hundreds of others who love sharing dinner time ideas. You don’t want to miss out on the fun!
You’ll find lots of ideas for dinner from all our awesome members and you can share your ideas too! Join the Family Dinner Table today.
This recipe was originally shared on November 19, 2003
Jen says
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 🙁
Emily says
Looks yummy! I am always craving those things now I just need to convince my kids balsamic vinegar is really good.
Vicki Hodgman says
You’ve gotta cook the chicken before assembly.
Leigh Anne says
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!!