Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta is the dinner that Lucia keeps coming back to every single week because it manages to feel genuinely special while asking almost nothing of her on a Wednesday evening. She discovered it on one of those nights when the refrigerator held two chicken breasts, a jar of good pesto, a bag of baby spinach, and a half-open container of sun-dried tomatoes, and the combination that came together in the skillet in thirty minutes was so quietly extraordinary that she made it again the following Wednesday without a second thought.
Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta is comfort food at its most refined and its most effortless. Golden pan-seared chicken sliced and served over pasta tossed in a silky cream sauce built with pesto, chicken broth, lemon juice, and sun-dried tomatoes, finished with wilted baby spinach that adds fresh color and a gentle earthiness to every bowlful. One skillet plus one pasta pot and a dinner that feels completely homemade and completely satisfying from the very first bite. Come follow us on Pinterest where we share beautiful and effortless recipes like this one from our kitchen every single week.
Table of Contents
Why You Will Love This Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta Recipe
This Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta recipe is the thirty-minute weeknight dinner that delivers sophisticated flavor through a genuinely clever technique. Rather than simply stirring pesto into cream and calling it a sauce, this recipe builds the sauce properly by first cooking a small amount of flour in the residual butter and oil left from the chicken, then adding chicken broth and scraping up all the caramelized drippings before the cream and pesto go in. That roux base gives the sauce a body and a stability that a simple cream-pesto mixture cannot achieve, and those browned chicken drippings dissolve into the sauce and give it a depth of flavor that is unmistakably homemade.
The sun-dried tomatoes are the ingredient that completes the flavor balance of this dish in a way that no other ingredient could. Their concentrated sweetness and slight chew against the bright herbaceous pesto and the silky cream creates a sauce that is complex and multi-layered despite being made from so few components. The fresh baby spinach wilted into the warm sauce at the very end stays bright and tender and adds a beautiful green freshness to every bowlful. Our Creamy Pesto Sauce Pasta brings that same beloved pesto cream character to the table in a completely plant-based and equally irresistible form for the most beautiful pesto-themed dinner spread.
Ingredients Needed for This Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta Recipe
- 8 oz Pasta (penne, rotini, or farfalle)
- 2 Chicken Breasts, sliced in half lengthwise to make 4 thinner cutlets
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- Salt and Black Pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
- ½ cup Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
- ¾ cup Heavy Cream
- ¼ cup Pesto
- ½ tsp Fresh Lemon Juice, or more to taste
- ¼ cup Sun-Dried Tomatoes, chopped
- 2 cups Fresh Baby Spinach, packed
- Freshly Grated Parmesan for serving (optional)
How to Make This Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta Recipe
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. The pasta should have a pleasant bite at the center and not be soft all the way through. Before draining, scoop out approximately half a cup of the starchy pasta cooking water and set it aside. This pasta water is your insurance policy for adjusting the sauce consistency at the end and it is worth remembering every single time, cara mia. Drain the pasta and set aside without rinsing.
While the water heats, slice each chicken breast lengthwise through the center to produce four thinner and more even cutlets. This is the same butterflying technique used in so many of our favorite chicken dinners and the reason is always the same. Thinner cutlets sear faster, develop more golden surface area in less time, and cook through more consistently than thick whole breasts. Season all four cutlets generously on both sides with garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
Heat the olive oil and butter together in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the butter is melted and foaming. Add the chicken cutlets in a single layer and cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side until golden brown on both sides and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F. Resist the urge to move the chicken during those first few minutes. Undisturbed contact with the hot pan is what creates the beautiful golden crust. Transfer to a plate and allow to rest for 3 minutes before slicing into bite-sized pieces. Resting allows the juices to redistribute rather than running out the moment you slice.
Reduce the heat to medium. The skillet should still have the residual oil, butter, and all those gorgeous golden drippings from the chicken. Sprinkle the tablespoon of flour into the pan and stir constantly for about 1 minute. The flour is cooking in the fat and forming a light roux that will give the sauce its body and prevent it from being thin and watery. Slowly pour in the chicken broth while stirring continuously and scrape every caramelized bit from the bottom of the pan as you go. Those bits dissolve into the sauce and add an extraordinary savory depth.
Add the heavy cream, pesto, lemon juice, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the skillet. Stir everything together and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Allow to cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly and looks smooth and glossy. Keep the heat gentle throughout. A vigorous boil can cause the cream to separate and the sauce to lose its silky consistency.
Add the packed baby spinach to the sauce and stir gently until it wilts completely into the warm cream, about 1 minute. Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss everything together until every piece is thoroughly coated in the pesto cream sauce. If the sauce seems too thick, add the reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time, tossing between each addition, until the consistency is loose and glossy and clings to the pasta beautifully. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed. Top with the sliced seared chicken and a generous scatter of freshly grated Parmesan. Serve immediately.
How to Serve This Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta Recipe
Serve this pasta immediately while the sauce is at its most silky and the spinach is still vibrant. Divide into warm bowls and top each with generous slices of the golden chicken and a final scattered handful of freshly grated Parmesan.
A simple crisp green salad with lemon vinaigrette alongside provides freshness that cuts through the richness of the cream sauce beautifully. Warm garlic bread for mopping up the pesto cream from the bottom of the bowl is equally essential in our kitchen. Our Margherita Pizza makes a simple and beautiful Italian companion alongside this pasta for a complete and deeply satisfying weeknight dinner.
How to Store This Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta Recipe
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. The pesto cream sauce thickens considerably overnight in the refrigerator which is normal. To reheat, warm gently in a saucepan over low heat with a splash of chicken broth or heavy cream stirred in to loosen the sauce back to its original silky consistency.
Avoid high heat when reheating as cream sauces can separate. If using the microwave, reheat at medium power in 30-second intervals with a splash of broth added before heating. This recipe is not recommended for freezing as cream-based sauces do not hold up well through the freezing and thawing process and the texture changes considerably.
Tips to Make This Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta Recipe
Always cook the pasta to al dente rather than fully soft. The pasta will continue to soften slightly when tossed in the warm sauce in the hot skillet and pasta that starts already fully cooked will become overcooked and mushy in the finished dish. The slight bite at the center when you drain the pasta is exactly where you want it to be.
Taste the finished sauce carefully before adjusting salt. Both pesto and Parmesan are already quite salty and the combination of the two in this sauce can result in a dish that needs significantly less added salt than you might expect. Always taste before seasoning rather than seasoning by habit.
Helpful Notes for This Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta Recipe
The small amount of flour cooked into the butter and oil before the broth is added is the technique step that makes this sauce so much more stable and well-bodied than a simple pesto and cream combination would be. Without it the sauce tends to be thin and slightly greasy looking because the oil in the pesto does not emulsify cleanly into the cream without a starch binder. The roux creates the emulsified base that holds everything together smoothly and gives the sauce its beautiful glossy body.
Store-bought pesto works perfectly in this recipe and is what we use on busy weeknights without any compromise to the finished dish. If you prefer homemade pesto and have the time to make it, a freshly made basil pesto adds a noticeably brighter and more vibrant flavor. Either works and the dish is genuinely delicious both ways.
Variation of This Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta Recipe
Maria made a version with a handful of sautéed cremini mushrooms added to the skillet alongside the garlic powder chicken and the earthy savory mushroom flavor against the bright pesto cream was completely wonderful and added both flavor and texture in the most satisfying way. Teresa tried adding a generous handful of cherry tomatoes halved and stirred in alongside the spinach and the burst of fresh tomato juice against the rich pesto cream was bright and lovely and gave the dish a freshness that lifted every bite.
For a version without chicken, use a drained and rinsed can of white cannellini beans added to the sauce alongside the spinach for a completely satisfying protein-rich vegetarian pasta that loses nothing in heartiness or flavor. Our Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry makes a wonderfully warming and vibrant vegetarian companion alongside this pasta for a complete and varied dinner spread that covers every preference at the table.
FAQs About This Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta Recipe
Can I use jarred pesto from the store?
Absolutely. Store-bought pesto works perfectly in this recipe and is what we use on most weeknights without any compromise to the finished result. When using store-bought pesto, taste the sauce before adding any additional salt as different brands vary considerably in saltiness and a very salty pesto combined with Parmesan can make the finished dish too salty if you season with a heavy hand alongside it.
What pasta shapes work best in this recipe?
Short pasta shapes with ridges or curves are the ideal choice because they grip the creamy pesto sauce and carry it through every bite. Penne rigate, rotini, farfalle, and fusilli are all excellent choices. Long pasta like fettuccine or linguine works well too if that is what you have available and makes for a more elegant and restaurant-style presentation, though it does not hold the thick cream sauce quite as efficiently as the short ridged shapes.
Can I prepare any elements of this recipe ahead of time?
Yes. The chicken can be cooked and sliced up to 2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The pesto cream sauce can be made ahead and stored separately in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, cook fresh pasta, reheat the sauce gently on the stovetop with a splash of broth, wilt the spinach into the warm sauce, combine with the drained pasta, and top with the reheated chicken slices.
Conclusion
This Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta is the weeknight dinner that we turn to whenever we want something that feels genuinely homemade and genuinely satisfying without asking anything more of us than thirty minutes and one skillet. Silky pesto cream, golden chicken, bright wilted spinach, and sweet sun-dried tomatoes over pasta that is coated in every drop of that beautiful sauce. We hope it becomes as reliable and as beloved in your kitchen as it has become in ours. Make it, share it, and come back to tell us all about it. With all our love, Maria, Lucia, and Teresa.
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Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta The Most Satisfying and Fresh 30 Minute Dinner You Will Make
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
The most fresh and satisfying Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta made with golden seared chicken cutlets, silky pesto cream sauce, wilted baby spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes tossed with pasta in one skillet. A deeply flavorful and effortless 30 minute weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
8 oz Pasta penne rotini or farfalle
2 Chicken Breasts sliced in half lengthwise to make 4 cutlets
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
Salt and Black Pepper to taste
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Unsalted Butter
1 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
3/4 cup Heavy Cream
1/4 cup Pesto
1/2 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice or more to taste
1/4 cup Sun-Dried Tomatoes chopped
2 cups Fresh Baby Spinach packed
Freshly Grated Parmesan for serving optional
Instructions
1. Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water. Drain without rinsing.
2. Slice chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make 4 thinner cutlets. Season with garlic powder salt and pepper.
3. Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Add chicken in a single layer. Cook 5 to 6 minutes per side until golden and 165°F internal.
5. Transfer to a plate. Rest 3 minutes then slice into bite-sized pieces.
6. Reduce heat to medium. Sprinkle flour into skillet and stir constantly 1 minute to form a roux.
7. Slowly add chicken broth while stirring scraping up all browned bits.
8. Add heavy cream, pesto, lemon juice, and sun-dried tomatoes. Stir to combine.
9. Simmer gently 2 to 3 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.
10. Add baby spinach and stir until wilted.
11. Add drained pasta and toss to coat. Add pasta water as needed for silky consistency.
12. Taste and adjust seasoning. Top with chicken slices and Parmesan. Serve immediately.
Notes
Cook pasta to al dente only as it continues softening in the warm sauce.
The flour roux before adding broth gives the sauce its body and stability.
Do not boil the cream sauce vigorously as it can separate.
Taste before adding salt as pesto and Parmesan are already quite salty.
Store refrigerated up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat gently with a splash of broth or cream.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course, Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 580
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 480mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 46g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 38g
- Cholesterol: 115mg
Keywords: creamy chicken pesto pasta, pesto chicken pasta, spinach chicken pesto pasta, easy pesto pasta dinner recipe
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