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. ;)
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 ($5.56)
- 2 Tbsp butter ($0.26)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1/2 lb. penne pasta ($0.40)
- 1.5 cups chicken broth ($0.20)
- 1 cup milk ($0.32)
- 3 oz. cream cheese* ($0.29)
- 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
Video
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! :)
Hi Beth, I love your recipes! Can you pretty please give some suggestions on chicken swap outs to make this vegetarian? My partner and I eat veggie at home, so I’d love to be able to adapt this one! Thanks :)
Hi Keira! You could omit the chicken and it will still be delicious! I’ve started to make it a few times and forgot to get chicken entirely and it’s still delicious. I’ve even added broccoli a few times :)
Another one-pot winner – we loved this! Thanks!
Happy to hear it Erin!
This recipe was affordable, easy to make, and delicious! Will definitely be adding to my regular meal rotations :-) thank you for sharing!
Happy to hear it Shelby! Thanks for sharing.
If I want to make this with a pound of pasta (ie the whole box) do I just double everything, or is the ratio less straightforward for the broth? Thanks!
Hi Adam! You can just click on the servings box and adjust up to 8 servings and it will then give you the right amounts for the rest of the ingredients for using 1 lb of pasta.
Oh duh! I had put the recipe in Evernote and only came back to ask my question. Oopsie! :) Thanks so much!
Ok. This was great. One pot and eight bowls but turned out great. My wife and even my son loved it. The chicken actually shredded by the time it was finished, but was probably better the chunks in our opinion.
That’s awesome John! Thanks for sharing!
Yum! Such an easy and delicious meal!
Thanks Rachel!
Thank you Rachel!
Any suggestions on what to use instead of milk? Girlfriend can have the cream cheese but milk is a dietary restriction. Thanks in advance!
Are you sure she can’t have cream cheese too? In any case you could swap with an unsweetened coconut milk.
Hey Beth,
I have been following your site for a few months now, never actually commented but this is so good, very nice recipes.
I have a few question about this recipe in particular because I stumbled upon a few problems.
First of all, are there any more tips on how to cook the pasta, I followed the recipe strictly, I even cooked it longer, but the penne wouldn’t cook nicely. I think I eventually overcooked it because parts were turning into a dark color, but they never were soft/cooked nicely. I religiously followed the tips above too but it didn’t help unfortunately, any tips for this?
Second, is there an alternative for the chicken broth that is vegetarian? I now made it with the chicken broth but I want to be able to make this dish vegetarian, so what should I put in with the penne instead of the chicken broth?
Thanks, and greetings from Holland! :)
David
Hi David! Thank you! Yes you can swap vegetable broth for the chicken broth. As for the pasta, which type of pasta were you using? Sometimes gluten free pastas can take a little longer to boil.
Where are you finding pesto for only $0.73 for a third of a cup? Most that I’ve seen is at least $5 for a cup. Is there a brand you’d recommend?
Aldi! It’s only two bucks and some change for a little jar of it. :)
I never had pesto before and I just finished making this dish,it is absolutely delicious,I’m going to double the recipe next time .thanks!
Hooray! I’m happy you liked it Destiny!
I left out the chicken and used veggie broth because we are a vegetarian family. This pasta dish was so good. I’m always skeptical of using cream cheese because it tends to take over all the flavors but it was so subtle here.
Thank you Bethany!
I made this week and LOVED it, it was so delicious and so easy. My husband and I also rarely fully agree on food, when I thing something is amazing, he usually thinks it’s alright and vice versa. This and the sushi bowls are two where we completely agree. I want to make it again this week but just realized I’m out of Parmesan and going back into the store again is never a great idea for me. Do you think the shelf stable stuff would work, or just omitting it completely?
Hooray for agreeing! Yes the shelf stable parm will be fine. Don’t go out of your way or your budget! :)
Made this for dinner tonight! So delicious! The flavors came together perfectly. Wasn’t too rich or lacking! I added some spinach and used low sodium chicken broth and adjusted my pasta time to 10 minutes. Your recipes are always spot on! I also really like how budget and pantry friendly they are!
Thank you Caroline!
The pesto ruined it, I’m going to omit it next time.
I’m sorry to hear that Raquel! Let me know if you have any questions about the process to see if we can improve for the next time you make it.
hi beth! i’ve been following budget bytes since i was in college in 2011, but this is the first time i’ve ever commented. your summer vegetable tian was the first recipe i ever made from here, became a staple that carried me through college, and is still a favorite today. eight years later i love to share the budget bytes joy with my partner and we make at least 3 recipes from your blog a week. i just want to thank you for sharing delicious, low-cost food with the world. your recipes helped me learn to cook – now a passion of mine – AND have helped carry me through so much financial struggle in my life and i am SO grateful for that!
i made this recipe last night and as usual, it was mindblowing. i used a full 12 oz bag of fun halloween shapes pasta, so i added another half cup of broth and an extra ounce of cream cheese. i also threw in some frozen chopped kale because i had it on hand and love to sneak veggies into all my food 😂 it came out absolutely perfect. thank you!
Hi Kayla!! Thank you so much for sharing that with me! It means so much to me to hear from people who have been following for a long time. :) And I love the idea of the Halloween shaped pasta! Now I want to find some! Haha!