Description
A comforting pasta dish with tender chicken and a rich, creamy basil pesto sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- 10.5 ounces penne or rigatoni pasta
- 2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup basil pesto
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 3.5 ounces baby spinach (optional)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Cook pasta in boiling salted water for 2 minutes less than package instructions, drain, and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, season chicken with salt and pepper, and sauté until cooked through (5–6 minutes). Remove from heat.
- Melt butter in the same skillet, add minced garlic, and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Stir in heavy cream and whole milk; simmer for 2–3 minutes. Mix in basil pesto and grated Parmesan until smooth.
- Toss cooked chicken, drained pasta, and spinach in the sauce until evenly coated.
- Transfer to the baking dish and sprinkle with mozzarella and remaining Parmesan.
- Bake uncovered for 20–25 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbly. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Use homemade pesto for a fresher taste. Vegetable options can be added for more variety.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 85mg