Description
This Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta is a quick and delicious meal featuring tender chicken pieces tossed in a rich, flavorful pesto cream sauce combined with perfectly cooked pasta. It’s perfect for a satisfying weeknight dinner, blending the freshness of basil pesto with the smoothness of heavy cream and Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Sauce
- 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb), chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup pesto sauce (store-bought or homemade)
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
Pasta
- 8 oz fettuccine or penne pasta
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Chop the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and mince the garlic cloves finely to prepare for cooking.
- Cook Chicken: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 6-7 minutes until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through.
- Sauté Garlic: Add the minced garlic into the skillet with the chicken and sauté for about one minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn it.
- Make the Sauce: Pour in the heavy cream and pesto sauce into the skillet with the chicken and garlic. Stir well to combine all ingredients into a creamy mixture.
- Cook Pasta: While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the pasta cooking water.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add the cooked pasta to the skillet with the creamy pesto sauce. Toss everything together to coat the pasta evenly. Add reserved pasta water as needed to adjust the sauce to your preferred consistency.
Notes
- Use freshly grated Parmesan for the best flavor and texture.
- Reserve some pasta water to loosen the sauce if it becomes too thick.
- For a lighter version, substitute heavy cream with half-and-half or a cream alternative.
- Add fresh basil leaves for extra herbal aroma.
- Can be served with a side of steamed vegetables or a light salad.
