This One Pot Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta was inspired by those little packets of powdered pasta sauce mix I always see in the grocery store. While those little packets are probably great for camping, stocking a bomb shelter, or keeping in your emergency hurricane supplies, I think regular weeknights call for something better. Better but not harder. This Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta comes together in about 25 minutes, is super luscious and creamy, and uses just a few simple ingredients. ;)
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“Such a great dish! I think we’ve had it at least twice a month now for a year and it’s here to stay. 😋 Quick and easy, and so delicious! Also always a hit when we make it for guests.”
Céline
Chicken, Spinach, and Tomatoes Optional
This recipe idea started as just pasta and sauce. Because sometimes that’s all you need to be satisfied. But I like to rummage through my pantry, fridge, and freezer to find leftover ingredients that can be added to whatever I’m cooking. So I ended up with this creamy pesto chicken pasta, with spinach and sun dried tomatoes. But I ate it as just pasta and sauce during testing and it still made me do the happy chair wiggle.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this delicious one pot creamy pesto chicken pasta:
- Chicken Breast: I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts whenever I make this recipe, but boneless chicken thighs will also work. Be sure to cut your chicken up into evenly sized 1-inch pieces.
- Butter: Browns the chicken and adds extra flavor to the sauce.
- Garlic: Mince two cloves of fresh garlic and sauté it with the chicken for even more flavor.
- Pasta: Penne pasta is the one I always reach for whenever I make this recipe. It cooks perfectly using this one-pot method, and the little ridges grip onto all that creamy pesto sauce. But if you’re wondering what other pasta might work, see my notes below!
- Chicken Broth: Yes, it won’t seem like much once you add it to your skillet, but it’s just enough to cook the pasta perfectly and create a yummy sauce with all those browned chicken bits.
- Milk & Cream Cheese: These are the creamy components in the sauce. A little milk and cream cheese helps emulsify everything together and creates a velvety texture.
- Basil Pesto: I just love the herby flavor of basil pesto mixed with the smooth sauce and chicken. You can use homemade or store-bought pesto; either will work.
- Grated Parmesan: Adds a salty, umami (savory) kick to the dish.
- Black Pepper & Crushed Red Pepper: I don’t add any extra salt because the Parmesan and broth already have plenty. But I do add some freshly cracked black pepper and crushed red pepper! If you use low-sodium chicken broth, feel free to season to taste.
- Fresh Spinach & Sun Dried Tomatoes: These are the optional extras I mentioned above! They bulk out the pasta and add texture and color. If you’re not a fan, feel free to leave them out or substitute them with your favorite vegetables. Some of our readers added sautéed mushrooms and said it turned out great!
What Type of Pasta Should I Use?
I used penne pasta, but bowties or rotini would also work well. Because this pasta to broth ratio is very important in one pot pastas I can’t vouch for alternative pastas like gluten-free, rice, chickpea, or even whole wheat pasta. They absorb broth differently than semolina pasta and may not work the same in this recipe.
Tips for Success with “one pot” Pastas
One pot pastas can be tricky for some because the pasta is cooked in a much smaller amount of liquid than traditional pasta cooking methods. Here are a few tips to make sure your one pot pasta cooks evenly and to the right texture:
- Keep the pot covered to trap steam, which will help cook the pasta.
- Make sure you’re using quality cookware. Use cookware that is thick, heavy, and transfers heat evenly. Thin cookware will leave some pasta overcooked and some pasta undercooked.
- I like to use a burner that is close in size to my cookware. This helps the pot heat evenly and cook the pasta evenly.
- Make sure the broth maintains a strong simmer throughout the cooking time. If it’s not simmering, the pasta will become mushy.
- Stir every few minutes to prevent sticking and make sure the pasta cooks evenly.
Serving Suggestions
This recipe is already one filling, complete meal in itself…but I’d never say no to some easy sides. ;) My homemade garlic bread would be perfect for sopping up any leftover sauce. And a simple green salad tossed with balsamic vinaigrette would balance out the richness of the pasta. But if you’re looking to stretch this dish even further, I’d make some roasted carrots or balsamic mushrooms to serve on the side.
Storage & Reheating
This creamy pesto chicken pasta is definitely best served fresh. The pasta will continue to soak up the sauce and get softer the longer it sits. But that said, if you do have leftovers, don’t let them go to waste!
Store the cooled pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop (over low heat) with extra broth to loosen up the sauce. Make sure everything is piping hot before serving. You can also try freezing this recipe for up to 3 months, but keep in mind that cream-based sauces tend to separate, and the pesto can turn brown once thawed.
One Pot Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta
Servings 4Ingredients
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast ($6.25)
- 2 Tbsp butter ($0.28)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1/2 lb. penne pasta ($0.67)
- 1.5 cups chicken broth ($0.20)
- 1 cup milk ($0.19)
- 3 oz. cream cheese* ($0.80)
- 1/3 cup basil pesto ($0.73)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan ($0.44)
- freshly cracked pepper ($0.03)
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper ($0.02)
Optional Add-Ins
- 3 cup fresh spinach ($0.90)
- 1/4 cup sliced sun dried tomatoes ($1.10)
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breast into 1-inch pieces. Add the butter to a deep skillet and melt over medium heat. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook over medium heat until the chicken is slightly browned on the outside.
- While the chicken is cooking, mince the garlic. Add the garlic to the skillet with the chicken and continue to sauté for one minute more.
- Add the uncooked pasta and chicken broth to the skillet with the chicken and garlic. Stir to dissolve any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring the broth up to a boil.
- Once the broth comes to a full boil, give the pasta a quick stir, replace the lid, and turn the heat down to medium-low. Let the pasta simmer over medium-low heat for about 8 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and most of the broth has been absorbed. Stir the pasta briefly every two minutes as it simmers, replacing the lid quickly each time.
- Once the pasta is tender and most of the broth absorbed, add the milk, cream cheese (cut into chunks), and pesto. Stir and cook over medium heat until the cream cheese has fully melted into the sauce. Finally, add the grated Parmesan and stir until combined.
- If using, add the fresh spinach and sliced sun dried tomatoes. Stir until the spinach has wilted, then remove the pasta from the heat. Top the pasta with freshly cracked pepper and a pinch of crushed red pepper, then serve.
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Notes
Nutrition
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Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta – Step by Step Photos
Cut one pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast into 1-inch pieces. Add 2 Tbsp butter to a deep skillet and melt over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces and sauté until the chicken is slightly browned on the outside. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic and sauté for one minute more. (I’m using an OXO 4-quart covered skillet)
Add 1/2 lb. uncooked penne pasta and 1.5 cups of chicken broth to the skillet. Stir briefly to dissolve any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat up to medium-high, and allow the broth to come up to a full boil.
Once the broth comes to a full boil, give the pasta a brief stir, replace the lid, turn the heat down to medium-low and let it continue to simmer for about 8 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and most of the broth absorbed. Stir the pasta every two minutes or so as it simmers, replacing the lid each time.
Add 3 oz. cream cheese (cut into chunks), 1/3 cup pesto, and 1 cup milk to the skillet. Stir and cook the mixture over medium until the cream cheese has fully melted and the sauce is creamy.
Once the cream cheese has fully melted in, add 1/4 cup grated Parmesan and stir to combine.
If you’re adding the 3 cups of fresh spinach and 1/4 cup sliced sun dried tomatoes, like I did, add them once the sauce is finished and stir just until the spinach has wilted, then remove the skillet from the heat.
Whether you are using spinach and sun dried tomatoes or not, finish the creamy pesto chicken pasta off with some freshly cracked pepper and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. The little pops of flavor that these two bring to the dish really take it to the next level!
Dive in! :)
I used chicken thighs and a lot more garlic. We had a fresh pesto on hand that went perfectly for this dish. Great recipe.
Loved this recipe!
Use the fresh pesto in the refrigerator section, powder, really… everything in that you can’t even pronounce, Fresh is best, but when need be, don’t use powder whachamacallit, come on sweet & low comes from goal.
If I wanted to double the recipe would I need to use 2 skillets or would a large 6 quart pot work ?
While I haven’t tried this in a six-quart pot, I find that flat and wide vessels work a little better for this type of dish because you get more even heating than in a deep pot where the top might not be as hot as the bottom layer. So I’m thinking just doing two batches in a skillet would be better.
Taste was on, but recipe required some tweaking. There was no way that 1.5 cups of broth was going to be enough for 8 oz of penne pasta. I poured it in, looked at it, and immediately added an additional cup of water, which turned out to be the right volume.
I think you should undercook the pasta before adding all your creamy elements. It will continue to cook in the milk and sauce, and if it’s done fully before those go in, it will be overdone by the time the dish is complete. I also added the sun dried tomatoes in with the milk to rehydrate them a little bit.
Overall tasty and good idea, but I think the recipe requires some tweaks to be a 10/10 final product.
If I were to use broccoli in this recipe when should I add it into the pot??
I’d probably add it to the pot with the pasta and broth.
I love this recipe. It is SO easy, so quick and so tasty! I throw in whatever leafy veg I have at hand, and cut tomatoes, dried tomatoes, or cherry tomatoes. I am not a fan of cream cheese, and live in France where we have AMAZING cheese, so i use a little more milk, and the Cantal or Compte that is in my fridge.
My go-to recipe for sure!
How much is a serving?
One fourth of the recipe. Unfortunately, I don’t have the exact volume.
I have made several of your one pot pastas so far and they never disappoint.
This time around, however, I added around 2 teaspoons of cornstarch as a slurry right when the pasta was done cooking. But only because a) I didn’t have as much cream cheese left and b) those cream cheese sauces often end up a bit thin for my personal taste. With the cornstarch it was a perfectly creamy sauce.
Oh, and I also always have to double those servings for the pasta because it’s SO good that me and my mum can’t stop eating it even when we’re full.
Good call on the cornstarch; mine needed some too!
Yours needed cornstarch because you added extra water. :) While 1.5 cups may not visually look like enough to cook the penne because it’s not fully submerged, the water and steam cook the pasta together and the occasional stir helps make sure everything cooks evenly. This method leaves only a small amount of thick sauce leftover, leaving no need to add extra thickener.
This recipe was very good. I was looking for a recipe to use my left over Costco rotisserie chicken breast. Since already cooked, I added the chicken after I sauteed the garlic with the pasta and broth. . i also used 3/4 cup 2% milk which was perfect after reading comments. . Also added an extra 2 tablespoons of pesto. if not making I use the Costco Kirkland brand. it’s great. Had no spinach. Did not miss it it. Everything else I had. I will make this again. My husband loved as well.
Great recipe. I stumbled onto this in my quest to utilise a jar of homemade pesto that was about to go bad. It’s a little saucier than I had expected. I substituted spinach / sundried tomatoes with mushrooms as that’s what was available in the pantry. Needs more seasoning than is mentioned in the recipe but good find nevertheless.
This was really good!
This was a bit saucier than I like, but if you use the spinach it will be perfect. I didn’t have spinach, but I added some quartered cherry tomatoes when serving. Those were a really nice contrast to the rich sauce!
Made this tonight for my boyfriend and I! It was the highest rated recipe for the ‘chicken pesto pasta’ search. It was BOMB! I wish I could post a pic of how it turned out. It was a little watery at the end but I just did equal parts cornstarch and water, put about a tablespoon of the mixture in the pasta and stirred it till it thickened up. AMAZING!
We’ve made it twice now and the second time with some alterations that we preferred.
On the second go we halved the pesto (rounding down) to two tablespoons. Additionally, we used heavy whipping cream instead of milk. Then, at the end we threw in some sliced cherry tomatoes with the spinach to wilt.
The second time was a home run in our books.
Made it for the first time so good whole family really enjoyed it , so easy to make with step-by-step information .