Pesto Chicken Pasta Bake (Print Page)
Tender chicken and penne baked in creamy pesto sauce, topped with melted mozzarella and Parmesan.
# What You Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 10 oz penne or rigatoni
→ Chicken
02 - 2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 12 oz), cut into bite-sized pieces
03 - 1 tbsp olive oil
04 - 1/2 tsp salt
05 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
→ Sauce & Flavorings
06 - 1/2 cup basil pesto (homemade or store-bought)
07 - 2/3 cup heavy cream
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (optional)
→ Cheese
10 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella
11 - 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
→ Garnish
12 - Fresh basil leaves (optional)
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente according to package directions. Drain well and set aside.
03 - While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes until golden brown and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove from heat and set aside.
04 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained pasta, seared chicken, basil pesto, heavy cream, minced garlic, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Toss everything together until evenly coated.
05 - Transfer the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading it into an even layer. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan evenly over the top.
06 - Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden brown on top.
07 - Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil leaves if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It transforms basic pantry ingredients into something that tastes like you spent all day cooking.
- The creamy pesto sauce clings to every ridge of pasta and makes each bite ridiculously satisfying.
- Leftovers reheat beautifully which means lunch the next day is sorted without any effort.
02 -
- Undercooking the pasta by one minute before baking is the single most important step because nobody wants mushy pasta casserole.
- Letting the bake rest for the full five minutes before serving allows the sauce to thicken and hold together when you scoop it.
03 -
- Taste your pesto before adding salt to the cream mixture because some jarred pestos are already quite salty and you cannot fix oversalted pasta once it is baked.
- Shred your own mozzarella from a block instead of using pre shredded bags because the fresh melted texture is dramatically smoother and more satisfying.