My chicken pesto pasta recipe is an easy 30 minute dinner that the whole family will love! Tender bites of chicken and pasta are tossed with pesto sauce, then finished with cherry tomatoes, spinach and pine nuts.
This chicken pesto pasta became an immediate favorite meal of mine. From the first time I tested the recipe, I knew this would be a dinner we’d make again and again! It’s simple to make, fresh, and incredibly flavorful!
I love just about any recipe that includes pesto: my basic Pesto Pasta and Pesto Pasta Salad recipes are favorites for good reason. The pesto brings bold, vibrant flavor, whether you make it yourself or use store-bought to save time. This chicken pesto pasta is one of my favorite ways to use my homemade Basil Pesto. It’s so good, I have to hide the leftovers (if there are any!) so that I can enjoy them for lunch the next day.
Ingredient Notes
- Penne Pasta: Or use your favorite pasta shape.
- Chicken Breast: We cut it into cubes so that it cooks quickly.
- Seasonings: I season the chicken with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
- Olive Oil: For cooking the chicken.
- Cherry Tomatoes: I love the color and fresh, sweet flavor that the tomatoes bring. We cook them briefly in the skillet with the chicken to soften them a bit.
- Fresh Spinach: I love sneaking another veggie into our meal. The spinach wilts down in the hot skillet and blends in with the pesto, so if you have picky eaters they’ll hardly notice it’s there.
- Pesto: I’ve made this recipe with homemade basil pesto and a walnut arugula pesto. Both were delicious!
- Pine Nuts: I toast them in a skillet to bring out their nutty, toasty flavor.
- For Serving: I love to add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes to my plate. The heat is so good with this chicken pesto pasta! A little fresh basil also brings out the fresh flavors.
Find the printable recipe with ingredient amounts below.
How to Make Chicken Pesto Pasta
Plus, my best tips for making this easy pasta recipe!
Cook the pasta. Salt the pasta cooking water to flavor the pasta as it cooks. Before you drain it, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water. We will add some of the starchy pasta cooking water later on to help loosen up the sauce.
Cook the chicken. Season the chicken with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Then, cook the chicken pieces in a skillet until they’re almost cooked through. Add the tomatoes and cook for 2-3 more minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked. Then stir in the fresh spinach until it starts to wilt. Remove the pan from the heat.
Put it all together. Stir in the cooked pasta, 2 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water and the pesto sauce. Add a little more pasta cooking water if the sauce is too thick to evenly coat the pasta. Sprinkle on the toasted pine nuts, chopped fresh basil and red pepper flakes (if using), then serve and enjoy!
Recipe Variations
- Make it creamy. Stir in 2 ounces of cream cheese or 1/2 cup of heavy cream when you add the spinach. If adding cream, you may not need to add the pasta cooking water, since the cream will thin out the sauce.
- Use sun-dried tomatoes. You can swap these for the cherry tomatoes for a richer tomato flavor. Add them when you add the spinach to the skillet.
- Add other vegetables. I think broccoli, asparagus, zucchini or green beans would all be delicious here! I’d add them shortly after the chicken starts to cook, to give the vegetables time to soften.
- Use another type of pesto. I’ll try to share my arugula pesto recipe soon. You could also use kale pesto (see my Kale Pesto Pasta) or spinach pesto, which I use in my Spinach Pesto Pasta recipe.
More Easy Pasta Recipes
Try one of our other favorite pasta recipes next:
Made this recipe? I’d truly appreciate if you leave a comment and star rating below! Your review will help others who want to try this recipe. Thank you! 💛
Easy Chicken Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces penne pasta, or other short pasta shape
- 1 ¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 cups chopped fresh spinach, loosely packed
- 1 cup basil pesto, homemade or store-bought
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
- chopped fresh basil, optional, for serving
- red pepper flakes, optional, for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions for al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta. Do not rinse.
- Meanwhile, season the cubed chicken with the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until almost cooked through, 5-6 minutes.
- Add the cherry tomatoes to the pan. Continue cooking for 2-3 more minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Stir in the fresh spinach until it starts to wilt. Remove pan from the heat.
- Add the cooked pasta, 2 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water and the pesto sauce to the pan. Stir to combine, adding a little more pasta cooking water if the sauce is too thick to evenly coat the pasta.
- Sprinkle on the toasted pine nuts, chopped fresh basil and red pepper flakes (if using), then serve.
Notes
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days.
- Make it creamy. Stir in 2 ounces of cream cheese or 1/2 cup of heavy cream when you add the spinach. If adding cream, you may not need to add the pasta cooking water, since the cream will thin out the sauce.
- Use sun-dried tomatoes. You can swap these for the cherry tomatoes for a richer tomato flavor. Use about 1/2 cup of sun dried tomatoes and add them when you add the spinach to the skillet.
- Add other vegetables. I think broccoli, asparagus, zucchini or green beans would all be delicious here! I’d add them shortly after the chicken starts to cook, to give the vegetables time to soften.
