This creamy chicken pesto pasta dish is full of flavor, easy to assemble, and require just a handful of ingredients. Preparing the meal is a breeze – and only takes 25 minutes from start to finish!

HOW TO MAKE IT:

The key steps to making this dish are to cook the pasta and peas, sauté the chicken, simmer the creamy pesto sauce, and stir in the pasta.

For the pasta, it is important to cook it until just al dente.
This helps give the dish a pleasant texture, as the pasta will soak up some of the sauce upon serving.
Additionally, the peas are added to the boiling noodle water just before finishing cooking. This helps ensure that the peas have a little bit of crunch to them when the dish is finished.
Once the chicken is added to the skillet, it is seasoned with salt and pepper to bring out its flavor and it is sautéed until golden and tender. Then, the cream and pesto are added and brought to a boil before letting it simmer for a minute to thicken slightly.
Lastly, the pasta and peas are stirred in, and everything is cooked for an additional minute, then served.

Some say the secret behind this recipe is to use the freshest ingredients possible, so make sure to use the best quality cream and pesto you can find.

FAQ:

Q: What kind of pesto should I use?
A: The best kind of pesto to use for this dish is a basil-based one. However, if you’d like to switch things up a bit, you could also use a sun-dried tomato or pine nut pesto instead.

Q: Can I use a different type of pasta?
A: Absolutely! While penne is used in this recipe, feel free to use your favorite type of noodle instead.

Q: Can I substitute the cream for something else?
A: Yes! If desired, you could substitute the cream for half and half or Greek yogurt for a lighter version of this dish.

Q: How do I know when the dish is done cooking?
A: The dish is done cooking when the pasta is cooked yet still slightly firm to the bite and the sauce has thickened slightly.

Flavorful Chicken Pesto Pasta

Recipe by Dish Lingo

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: DinnerCuisine: American, ItalianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Total time

25

minutes

This creamy chicken pesto pasta dish is full of flavor, easy to assemble, and require just a handful of ingredients.

Ingredients

• 3 cups penne or other pasta, uncooked

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 cup frozen peas

• 2 medium chicken breast, sliced into strips or cubes

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream or half and half

• 6 heaping tablespoons pesto

• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

• In a large skillet, heat up two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.
• Now it’s time to add in the chicken and season it with salt and pepper.
• Saute the chicken until cooked on all sides, then add the cream and pesto sauce.
• Allow the sauce to come to a boil, then turn the heat down and let it simmer for a few minutes. As the sauce thickens, add salt and pepper to taste.
• When the sauce is ready, carefully stir in the cooked pasta and peas.
• Keep stirring on the heat for one more minute, and then your meal is ready to serve!