This One Pot Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta was inspired by those little packets of powdered pasta sauce mix I always see in the grocery store. While those little packets are probably great for camping, stocking a bomb shelter, or keeping in your emergency hurricane supplies, I think regular weeknights call for something better. Better but not harder. This Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta comes together in about 25 minutes, is super luscious and creamy, and uses just a few simple ingredients. ;)
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Chicken, Spinach, and Tomatoes Optional
This recipe idea started as just pasta and sauce. Because sometimes that’s all you need to be satisfied. But I like to rummage through my pantry, fridge, and freezer to find leftover ingredients that can be added to whatever I’m cooking. So I ended up with this creamy pesto chicken pasta, with spinach and sun dried tomatoes. But I ate it as just pasta and sauce during testing and it still made me do the happy chair wiggle.
What Type of Pasta Should I Use?
I used penne pasta, but bowties or rotini would also work well. Because this pasta to broth ratio is very important in one pot pastas I can’t vouch for alternative pastas like gluten-free, rice, chickpea, or even whole wheat pasta. They absorb broth differently than semolina pasta and may not work the same in this recipe.
Tips for Success with “one pot” Pastas
One pot pastas can be tricky for some because the pasta is cooked in a much smaller amount of liquid than traditional pasta cooking methods. Here are a few tips to make sure your one pot pasta cooks evenly and to the right texture:
- Make sure you’re using quality cookware. Use cookware that is thick, heavy, and transfers heat evenly. Thin cookware will leave some pasta overcooked and some pasta undercooked.
- Use a burner that is close in size to your cookware. This will help the pot heat evenly and cook the pasta evenly.
- Make sure the broth maintains a strong simmer throughout the cooking time. If it’s not simmering, the pasta will become mushy.
- Stir every few minutes to prevent sticking and make sure the pasta cooks evenly.
- Keep the pot covered to trap steam, which will help cook the pasta.
Love one pot chicken pasta recipes? Check out my One Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta or One Pot Creamy Mushroom Pasta!
One Pot Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta
Servings 4Ingredients
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast ($6.25)
- 2 Tbsp butter ($0.28)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1/2 lb. penne pasta ($0.67)
- 1.5 cups chicken broth ($0.20)
- 1 cup milk ($0.19)
- 3 oz. cream cheese* ($0.80)
- 1/3 cup basil pesto ($0.73)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan ($0.44)
- freshly cracked pepper ($0.03)
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper ($0.02)
Optional Add-Ins
- 3 cup fresh spinach ($0.90)
- 1/4 cup sliced sun dried tomatoes ($1.10)
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breast into 1-inch pieces. Add the butter to a deep skillet and melt over medium heat. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook over medium heat until the chicken is slightly browned on the outside.
- While the chicken is cooking, mince the garlic. Add the garlic to the skillet with the chicken and continue to sauté for one minute more.
- Add the uncooked pasta and chicken broth to the skillet with the chicken and garlic. Stir to dissolve any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring the broth up to a boil.
- Once the broth comes to a full boil, give the pasta a quick stir, replace the lid, and turn the heat down to medium-low. Let the pasta simmer over medium-low heat for about 8 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and most of the broth has been absorbed. Stir the pasta briefly every two minutes as it simmers, replacing the lid quickly each time.
- Once the pasta is tender and most of the broth absorbed, add the milk, cream cheese (cut into chunks), and pesto. Stir and cook over medium heat until the cream cheese has fully melted into the sauce. Finally, add the grated Parmesan and stir until combined.
- If using, add the fresh spinach and sliced sun dried tomatoes. Stir until the spinach has wilted, then remove the pasta from the heat. Top the pasta with freshly cracked pepper and a pinch of crushed red pepper, then serve.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
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Scroll down for the step by step photos!
Love one pot pasta? Check out my One Pot Meals category for more!
How to Make Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta – Step by Step Photos
Cut one pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast into 1-inch pieces. Add 2 Tbsp butter to a deep skillet and melt over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces and sauté until the chicken is slightly browned on the outside. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic and sauté for one minute more. (I’m using an OXO 4-quart covered skillet)
Add 1/2 lb. uncooked penne pasta and 1.5 cups of chicken broth to the skillet. Stir briefly to dissolve any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat up to medium-high, and allow the broth to come up to a full boil.
Once the broth comes to a full boil, give the pasta a brief stir, replace the lid, turn the heat down to medium-low and let it continue to simmer for about 8 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and most of the broth absorbed. Stir the pasta every two minutes or so as it simmers, replacing the lid each time.
Add 3 oz. cream cheese (cut into chunks), 1/3 cup pesto, and 1 cup milk to the skillet. Stir and cook the mixture over medium until the cream cheese has fully melted and the sauce is creamy.
Once the cream cheese has fully melted in, add 1/4 cup grated Parmesan and stir to combine.
If you’re adding spinach and sun dried tomatoes, like I did, add them once the sauce is finished and stir just until the spinach has wilted, then remove the skillet from the heat.
Whether you are using spinach and sun dried tomatoes or not, finish the creamy pesto chicken pasta off with some freshly cracked pepper and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. The little pops of flavor that these two bring to the dish really take it to the next level!
Dive in! :)
I have been trying to find a yummy pesto pasta that my whole family can enjoy. This was a winner and great for a quick and filling Sunday night dinner after sport. Will add this into the ‘to cook on a regular basis’ pile. Better then a Thanks!
Good meal just had some fresh garlic chili 🌶 at the end and less milk otherwise it’s too heavy.
best chicken is chicken tights and they should be marinated
This was delicious! My family loved it. I doubled the recipe, since we are 4 adults it was the perfect amount. One portion was leftover.
I made it in my 7.25Qt Dutch oven and it turned out great. The only thing I will do different next time is sautéing the chicken in two batches to not over crowd the pot.
This recipe is amazing and easy! I also sautéed some onion and mushrooms and added them right before the spinach and sun dried tomatoes. It was a great addition. Thank you for this recipe!!
Does the total of the dish include the price of taxes?
No, and please keep in mind that these prices are what I paid, but not necessarily what you will pay. Prices very quite a bit from region to region, store to store, and day to day. The prices are shown for example purposes only. You can read more about how and why we calculate the recipe costs here.
Made this super easy, very tasty. However I change the chicken cut to thighs.
I followed the recipe closely. It makes a very flavorful and velvety sauce, and this is the recipe’s primary redeeming trait. As presented, however, I think this recipe two significant issues:
1. The chicken: If you follow the recipe, you will get get chicken that has the dry, stringy and unappetizing texture of boiled chicken breast. If I do this again, I will make the following change: I will dredge the chicken in seasoned flour, then cook it through completely (being careful not to overcook it) by sautéing in olive oil. I will then set the cooked chicken aside, cover it to keep it warm, and reintroduce it to the pasta at the end. (If you haven’t done something like this before, I suggest you practice making chicken breast nuggets this way. If you get it right, they will be juicy and tender, without any hint of stringy texture.)
2. The pasta: The directions say to cook the penne until most of the chicken broth is absorbed and the penne are tender – about 8 minutes. This is implausible. It’s hard to find a penne with a cooking time less than 10 minutes., and most are more than 10 minutes. If you take the instructions seriously, you find yourself with a conundrum because you’ll have a thin layer of liquid at the bottom of the pot, and a bunch of penne above it that’s not quite cooked. With that said, you probably don’t want to cook the penne until it’s tender. It will cook more after you add the milk and other ingredients, so your goal should probably not be tender penne before adding the milk. Your goal should be penne that are just shy of al dente, and a target of al dente pasta when the dish is completed.
So easy and delicious! I’m definitely making it again 👍
Looks amazing!!! Love all the ingredients- is this something that could be frozen for a treat for a new mama?
This was a great dinner last night that both adults and children enjoyed. I doubled the recipe for our family of four so that we can have leftovers during the work week. Will definitely make again!
Made this for dinner and the taste was fantastic! My oldest son even commented how good it was. This recipe is a keeper.
Turned out incredible , rich and creamy very fulfilling dish . Family
Enjoyed it very ouch will definitely be making this again !
I absolutely love this!! I made it how the recipe stated the first time but tonight I decided to be extra lazy and throw it in a crockpot! I added frozen chicken, garlic, pesto, and milk on high for 2.5 hours. Shredded the chicken and added the cream cheese! It turned out great!
Absolutely perfect, worth following the details as the combo of sundried tomatoes, spinach, black pepper & a bit of crushed chilli powder or similar, takes it from a really nice creamy pasta to an absolute delight :) So easy to knock together too, all store cupboard ingredients for us.