Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta Bake (Printable Version)

Oven-baked pasta with tender chicken in a rich, creamy pesto sauce topped with bubbly melted cheese.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta and Chicken

01 - 12 oz short pasta (penne or rigatoni)
02 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or cubed

→ Creamy Pesto Sauce

03 - 1 cup heavy cream
04 - 1/2 cup basil pesto
05 - 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
06 - 1/2 cup chicken broth
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
09 - 1/4 tsp salt

→ Vegetables

10 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
11 - 1 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped

→ Topping

12 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
13 - 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

# How-To:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente, about 2 minutes less than package directions. Drain well.
03 - In a large skillet over medium heat, combine heavy cream, pesto, chicken broth, garlic, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes.
04 - Stir in Parmesan cheese until melted and sauce is smooth.
05 - Add cooked pasta, chicken, cherry tomatoes, and spinach to the skillet. Toss to coat evenly.
06 - Transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with mozzarella and additional Parmesan cheese.
07 - Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is golden and bubbly.
08 - Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with extra basil if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together faster than you can boil water for pasta, making it perfect for those I-have-zero-energy evenings
  • Leftovers somehow taste even better the next day, like the flavors had a sleepover and became best friends
  • That moment when you pull it out of the oven and the cheese is still bubbling and golden is basically food therapy
02 -
  • Do not skip the pasta-undercooking step, because overcooked baked pasta is one of the saddest things that can happen in a kitchen
  • If your sauce seems too thick before baking, add another splash of chicken broth because the pasta will absorb moisture as it bakes
  • Fresh Parmesan makes such a difference here that it is worth the extra grating effort, I promise you
03 -
  • Room temperature cream combines more smoothly with the pesto than cold cream straight from the fridge
  • If your pesto is oilier than usual, reduce the heavy cream by a couple tablespoons to maintain the perfect sauce consistency

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