Pesto Chicken Pasta Bake is a comforting and flavorful dish that combines tender chicken, al dente pasta, and vibrant pesto sauce baked to perfection with melted cheese. This hearty casserole is perfect for family dinners or entertaining guests, offering a delicious twist on classic pasta dishes by incorporating fresh basil pesto for a bright, herbaceous flavor. The dish is both satisfying and easy to prepare, making it a popular choice in home kitchens for a wholesome, crowd-pleasing meal. The roots of this dish trace back to traditional Italian cuisine, where pesto—a sauce originating from the Liguria region—is a staple, typically made from basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil. Pasta bakes have long been a way to creatively combine simple ingredients into a warm, cheesy, and comforting meal, and the addition of pesto and chicken elevates this classic to new heights.
This recipe blends the rich, aromatic flavors of pesto with tender chicken breast and pasta, all baked together with gooey mozzarella and Parmesan cheese for a perfect harmony of taste and texture.
The ingredients for this dish are straightforward yet flavorful: boneless chicken breasts, your choice of pasta (penne or rigatoni work well), homemade or store-bought basil pesto, shredded mozzarella, grated Parmesan cheese, and optional additions like cherry tomatoes or spinach for extra nutrition and color.
The step-by-step preparation involves cooking the pasta and chicken separately, mixing them with pesto and cheese, then baking until bubbly and golden. To ensure the perfect Pesto Chicken Pasta Bake, it’s important to not overcook the pasta initially since it will continue cooking in the oven, and to season the chicken well to enhance its flavor. Variations of this dish might include swapping chicken for shrimp or using different types of pesto such as sun-dried tomato or kale pesto, adding vegetables like zucchini or mushrooms, or experimenting with different cheeses like fontina or gouda for unique taste profiles. From a health perspective, this meal can be balanced by using whole wheat pasta, lean chicken breast, and moderating the cheese quantities.
The pesto sauce provides antioxidants and healthy fats from olive oil and nuts, while the chicken contributes protein. Common questions often revolve around the best type of pesto to use, how to store leftovers, and whether this dish can be prepared ahead of time or frozen.
Pesto Chicken Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- ▢12 oz. DeLallo Tortiglioni pasta or your preferred pasta shape
- ▢1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
- ▢1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ▢1 teaspoon paprika
- ▢1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt divided
- ▢1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- ▢1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ▢3/4 cup minced shallots
- ▢4 cloves garlic minced
- ▢A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- ▢1 cup DeLallo Roasted Red Tomatoes thinly sliced (or ½ cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes)
- ▢2 to 3 handfuls fresh baby spinach
- ▢1/2 cup DeLallo Pesto
- ▢1/2 cup heavy cream
- ▢1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese divided
- ▢3 to 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese torn into pieces
- ▢Chopped fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until just before al dente. Before draining, set aside 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. In a large bowl, toss the cubed chicken with 2 tablespoons of oil from the jar of roasted tomatoes (or 1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil), Italian seasoning, paprika, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat, add the chicken, and sauté until fully cooked, about 8 minutes. Remove the chicken and transfer it to a bowl. In the same skillet, add the shallots along with an extra drizzle of oil if needed, and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes, cooking until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the roasted tomatoes (or sun-dried tomatoes) and spinach, cooking until the spinach wilts, about 2 to 3 minutes. Season with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Mix in the pesto and heavy cream, then add the pasta along with ½ cup of the reserved pasta water. Stir continuously until the sauce thickens and coats the pasta, adding more pasta water as necessary until the sauce is creamy and thick—usually the full 1 cup is needed. Stir in 1/3 cup of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and the cooked chicken. Preheat your oven broiler to HIGH, then sprinkle the torn mozzarella and the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese evenly over the pasta. Place the skillet under the broiler and broil until the mozzarella is melted and bubbly, about 3 to 4 minutes. Finish by garnishing with fresh basil and serve immediately.