Chicken Pesto Pasta is a quick, easy, and creamy pasta loaded with juicy chicken and tender asparagus. It’s a quick 30-minute meal that’s both satisfying and delicious. Everyone in our family adores this meal, so I know it will become a staple in your meal rotation as well.
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Helpful Reader Review
“Loved this quick and easy recipe. Had my son, wife and their young daughter for dinner and she ate 5 helpings. Think this recipe is a keeper. I loved the crisp tenderness of the asparagus most of all. From 8 servings-no leftovers” – Judy ★★★★★
Chicken Pesto Pasta Video
Watch me create this 30-minute meal using simple ingredients for a spectacular dinner in just a few easy steps. You’ll love the simplicity!
Easy Chicken Pesto Pasta Recipe
I love the story of this Pesto Chicken Pasta dish! It was actually shared by one of our readers, Katie N., and it was love at first bite – an instant hit! Thank you, Katie, for generously sharing your amazing recipe with all of us.
This Pesto Pasta is simple with a very short list of ingredients, but the flavor is delicious. All you need is heavy whipping cream and Basil Pesto for the sauce, and then I cook the chicken, asparagus, and sauce in one skillet. It doesn’t get any easier, and clean up is a breeze.
My family and I love creamy pastas like our Cajun Chicken Pasta, Baked Feta Pasta, or Creamy Shrimp Pasta. This chicken pesto pasta recipe takes a cream sauce to the next level.
Ingredients for Pesto Chicken Pasta
You’ll need just 5 Ingredients for my chicken pesto pasta recipe, along with olive oil, salt, and pepper. It’s that simple to make a complete and satisfying 30-minute dinner.
- Chicken Breasts – or chicken thighs, chicken tenders, or swap with 2 cups of pre-cooked rotisserie chicken or leftover Spatchcock Chicken (skip step 2 if already cooked).
- Asparagus – to clean and trim the asparagus, first rinse in water, and then cut the ends where the green begins to turn white. Cut the stalks into 3rds.
- Heavy whipping cream – the basis of the rich and creamy sauce. You can swap with dairy-free (one of my readers reported great results using canned coconut milk).
- Pesto sauce – Pesto is a creamy, blended, bright green sauce originally from Italy, typically made from basil, nuts (often pine nuts), parmesan, garlic, and olive oil. Homemade Pesto tastes best, but store-bought pesto works fine (I like Kirkland Signature Pesto from Costco). Pesto sauce is freezer-friendly, so if you make or buy a big batch, you can freeze portions of it for later.
- Pasta – I prefer fettuccini for this recipe since it holds the sauce nicely, but any kind of pasta will work (try my Homemade Pasta), like rigatoni, spaghetti, penne pasta, or pappardelle.
Substitutions
The ingredients for this chicken pesto pasta recipe are so easy to swap to fit what you have on hand. Try these easy variations:
- Protein – use pan-seared steak, pork, shrimp, or tofu, or omit the meat for a vegetarian dish.
- Vegetables – use whatever fresh veggies you have on hand, or leave the veggies out. Try frozen peas, broccoli, cauliflower, snap peas, blanched green beans, or mushrooms. Also, try adding halved cherry tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes at the end.
- Pasta – go low-carb or gluten-free! Replace the pasta with Spaghetti Squash or with zucchini noodles made with a spiralizer.
How to Make Chicken Pesto Pasta
Whip up this quick chicken pesto pasta for dinner tonight. It’s quick and easy and can be served right in the same pot!
- Cook the pasta – boil salted water in a large pot and cook the pasta according to the package directions. Do not rinse the pasta – the starchy exterior will cling to the sauce better.
- Cook the chicken – season the chicken and slice it into two cutlets. Cook in a large skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes on each side. Then remove and slice in half, and then into strips.
- Saute asparagus – add olive oil and asparagus pieces and cook 2-3 minutes.
- Make the Sauce – heat the heavy whipping cream to a simmer for 3 minutes. Toss in the pesto and cooked chicken, and then cook for 2 more minutes to warm through. Do not boil the sauce or the sauce can separate. Season the sauce with salt to taste.
- Add the pasta – add the cooked pasta, stir, and serve immediately!
Natasha’s Tip for Salting Pasta Water
To flavor the pasta, from the inside out, salt should be added to the pasta cooking water so that the water tastes like ocean water before adding the pasta. This will season the pasta from the inside out. Plan on 1 1/2 Tbsp fine sea salt per 6 quarts of water, or 2 Tbsp Morton kosher salt, or 1/4 cup Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. I learned this tip from Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat, and it’s a game-changer.
What to Serve with Chicken Pesto Pasta
I love serving Chicken Pesto Pasta with a Crusty French Bread, Garlic Bread, or Sourdough bread to soak up all the delicious pesto sauce. Since it’s very hearty on its own, I like to pair it with one of these simple salads:
Make-Ahead
This pasta is best served right away, but it makes for great leftovers as well. Be sure to allow the dish to cool and then package it in an airtight container.
- To Refrigerate: refrigerate in an airtight container for 3-4 days (per USDA guidelines for storing cooked chicken).
- Freezing: You can freeze up to 1 month, but cook the pasta al dente so it doesn’t get too mushy when reheated. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- To Reheat: Warm the pasta on low heat, stirring often. If you overheat, the cream can separate and seem oily. You can add a splash of cream, broth, or milk to bring the sauce back together.
My 30-minute chicken pesto pasta recipe is the perfect meal for any night when you need a quick, flavorful, and satisfying meal. Wow–it’s delicious! I know you’ll love this recipe and make it over and over again!
Chicken Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breasts, trimmed
- 1 tsp salt, (divided)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 lb asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 2″ pieces
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 4 Tbsp pesto sauce
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 12 oz fettuccini pasta, (or linguine)
Instructions
- Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water* according to package instructions to your desired doneness. While pasta is cooking, proceed with the recipe then add drained cooked pasta to the sauce in step 5.
- Cook Chicken – Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise and season all sides with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat with 2 Tbsp olive oil. When oil is hot, add chicken in a single layer and saute until fully cooked through (3 min per side). Remove from pan and rest 5 minutes, then slice into bite-sized strips.
- Saute Asparagus – Add 2 Tbsp olive oil to the same pan with asparagus pieces. Sautee stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes or until crisp tender.
- Make the Sauce – Add 2 cups heavy whipping cream, bring to a simmer and cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 4 Tbsp pesto then add chicken breasts and cook 2 minutes. Season sauce with 1/2 tsp salt or to taste.
- Combine and Serve – Add cooked pasta, stirring to coat noodles in sauce. Remove from heat and serve right away. Garnish with basil or parsley if desired.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More 30-Minute Meals to Try
If you love this chicken pesto pasta recipe, you have to try these other quick and tasty meals:
- Shrimp Fried Rice
- Shrimp Scampi Pasta with Asparagus
- Chicken Stir Fry
- Beef Chili
- Chicken Fried Rice
- Monterey Chicken
- Sloppy Joes
Do you recommend a lactose free alternative for the heavy cream?
Hi Ruth! I honestly haven’t tried any dairy-free alternatives to advise but I have seen recipes where dairy-free cream is used in place of whipping cream. Let us know if you experiment with any.
Could you do a recipe for sun dried tomatoes? I found one, but I haven’t always had luck the first time with this popular source (usually I make it exact to the recipe and adjust the 2nd time and work from there.) interested to know what seasoning you might use on your sun dried tomatoes.
Thank you for the suggestion. 🙂
THIS IS SOOOO GOOD! It is a bonus that preparing this meal will not utterly destroy your kitchen. Because I cook for just two of us, there are leftovers. Oh darn.
So glad you loved this recipe!
So delicious!! I’d like to know what type of skillet you used. Cast iron of course but is it enamal coated on the exterior? I’d love a link for purchasing!
Thank you.
Hi Cimberlee! You can find it on my Amazon affiliate link HERE.
Wow, delicious! Also super easy, economical and looks so pretty in the skillet! Served with papardelle (my new favorite pasta) and steamed broccoli.
Thanks a lot for your good comments and feedback!
Is it possible to make this ahead of time (the same day) and warm up in the oven before serving?
Hi Pam. I’m sure you could reheat it in the oven but we reheat this in the microwave or on the stovetop. It should be reheated LOW and SLOW because of the cream. Warm the pasta on low heat, stirring often or in short intervals in the microwave. If you overheat, the cream can separate and seem oily. To make the sauce creamier, add a splash of water, milk, half and half, or cream before heating.
I guess I wasn’t clear with my question.
Can I make it, say an hour before my guests arrive, put it in a baking dish and place in the oven to keep it warm before serving, ( maybe at 250 degrees) without over-cooking the asparagus or making the sauce thicken too much?
PS – I love your recipes, videos and your unbridled joy! Thank you
Hi Pam. I think that would be fine, but without having tested it myself, I cannot say for certain if the asparagus or sauce will be impacted. I have kept many of my pasta dishes warm in the oven around 170-200℉ so I assume it would work well. I’m happy you enjoy my recipes. Thank you.
Thank you Natasha!
I will give it a try.
I will let you know how it turns out, if you wish
Thank you
Looks so yummy can’t wait to try it, Just love all your recipes. Thank you!
I hope you love it, Elizabeth! I look forward to your feedback!
Another great recipe to add into my rotational! The only changes I made were I sauteed and added in fresh mushrooms and added fresh basil from my garden…as I love herbs! And froze 3 meals for those times when i just don’t want to prepare a whole meal. Just add salad and voila! With a glass of wine of course!
Nice to know that you enjoyed it, thank you for sharing that with us!
I made this last night for dinner and we were all swooning at how delicious it was! I used b/s chicken thighs and added roasted cherry tomatoes to add color. Delicious!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Gigi!
Made this for my husband on Father’s Day. Absolutely delicious! I put in 2 cloves of garlic and added a handful of fresh mushrooms to the recipe. So much flavor. This will be a keeper for sure. Thanks Natasha.
So glad your family loved this recipe. Thank you for sharing!
I recently made this, delicious! I did saute and add mushrooms and some garlic and then sprinkled with fresh parsley and added some cherry tomatoes at the end.
Hello Marg, happy to know that you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for sharing that with us.
I made this last night and it was a huge hit! My husband loved it! I loved it because not only is it really tasty, it was simple to make.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Rhonda!
Hi Natasha!
I made this recipe tonight and it was so very easy and delicious. I used left over cooked chicken breast but followed the rest of the recipe as written. I will be sharing this recipe with both of my daughters as they are always looking for new recipes. Love your site and watch your videos. You make cooking look so easy!😊
Sounds like a great plan, Judy. I hope your family will love all the recipes that you will try!
I added about a 1/4 cup of white wine when cooking down the asparagus so I could get the fond off the pan. It made a syrupy chicken wine gravy that cut in beautifully with the cream. Just a great dish – thanks so much for the recipe.
Yum! Thank you so much for sharing that with us! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Made this last night for dinner and OMG it was absolutely delicious and quick I absolutely love cooking and you make me look good lol thank you so much for sharing this recipe love all your recipes
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles
Made this for dinner tonight I have to say thanks to you my wife thanks I am getting it from a restaurants and bring it back home lol hahaha it was absolutely delicious thank you so much
I think you win comment of the day, Joe! I’m so glad to hear your wife gets to enjoy your cooking and efforts! Bravo!
Hi Natasha, I would just love to try this recipe, but what can I replace the pesto with? We don’t like the taste of pesto.
Hi Madeleine, Pesto is one of the main ingredients of this recipe. The dish won’t be the same without it.
I love watching your videos.. You make cooking fun and easy.
This Chicken pesto pasta will be on my table on Friday..
Thank you so much
Thank you so much, enjoy the Chicken Pesto!
Fast and delicious with broccoli and some grated Parmesan
My favorite kind of recipe! I’m so glad you loved it also, Paula!
Made with fresh in season zucchini and basil from garden
Sounds so healthy and fresh! Hope you loved it.
Made this last night but used coconut cream, which actually worked as a great non-dairy sub… it was delicious! Will definitely put on repeat 🙂
Hi Emily, Thank you so much for sharing that with me! I’m glad to hear this worked with a non-dairy option!