Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta
This chicken pesto pasta is a date night-worthy dinner recipe that’s ready in 20 minutes or less. Make this luxurious pasta when you’re craving a warm bowl of creamy, Italian-style comfort.

This recipe originally appeared on
The Mediterranean DishRecipe Servings: 6
Prep Time: 10 Min
Recipe Cook Time: 10 Min6
Nutrition
- Calories: 444.6kcal
- Carbohydrates: 33.4g
- Protein: 24.7g
- Fat: 23.3g
Saturated Fat: 7.8g - Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.4g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 6.2g
- Trans Fat: 0.01g
- Cholesterol: 75.3mg
- Sodium: 363.1mg
- Potassium: 551.4mg
- Fiber: 2.3g
- Sugar: 4g
- Vitamin A: 858.6IU
- Vitamin C: 2.8mg
- Calcium: 118.4mg
- Iron: 1.5mg
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Kosher salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 8 ounces penne pasta, preferably with ridges
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving if you like
- 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, drained if packed in oil
- 1/2 cup basil pesto, homemade or quality store-bought, plus more if you like
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Handful of torn basil leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- Season the chicken. Add the chicken to a bowl and season with the Italian seasoning and a big pinch each of kosher salt and black pepper. Toss to coat.
- Cook the pasta. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and salt it well with about 1 tablespoon of salt. Drop the pasta in the boiling water and cook until al dente according to package instructions (about 8 to 9 minutes).
- Cook the chicken. While the pasta is cooking, add the olive oil to a large non-stick skillet and heat over medium-high. Add the chicken and cook, tossing occasionally, until golden brown on the outside and cooked through, about 7 to 8 minutes.
- Drain the pasta. When the pasta is ready, reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water and drain.
- Combine. To the pan with the chicken, lower the heat and stir in the cooked pasta, heavy cream, parmesan, and sundried tomatoes. Stir until everything is well combined. If it looks a bit dry, add a splash of the pasta cooking water (a couple tablespoons at a time) until the pasta is glossy and coated in the creamy sauce.
- Add the pesto. Turn off the heat and take the pan off the burner. Stir in the basil pesto and finish with a sprinkle of grated parmesan, red pepper flakes, and basil leaves. Serve.