Pesto Chicken Pasta Bake (Printer-Friendly)
Baked penne with chicken, basil pesto, cream, and melted mozzarella for a hearty family meal.
# What You'll 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)
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a large 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 heat. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then add to the skillet. Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally, 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, toss together the drained pasta, cooked chicken, basil pesto, heavy cream, minced garlic, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Stir until every piece is evenly coated with the sauce.
05 - Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish, spreading it into an even layer. Scatter the shredded mozzarella evenly across the top, then finish with a generous dusting of grated Parmesan.
06 - Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden on top.
07 - Remove from the oven and let the bake rest for 5 minutes so the sauce settles. Garnish with fresh basil leaves if desired, then serve warm.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The pesto cream sauce comes together in one bowl with zero stovetop finessing, which means you get huge flavor with almost no effort.
- It reheats beautifully the next day, making it one of those rare bakes that tastes even better for lunch.
- Everything bakes under a golden cap of mozzarella and Parmesan that pulls apart in long, satisfying strings.
02 -
- Undercooking the pasta by one minute before baking is the single most important step, because soggy baked pasta cannot be saved.
- Letting the bake rest for the full 5 minutes before cutting into it keeps the sauce from running everywhere and making a puddle on your plate.
03 -
- Warm the cream slightly before mixing it with the pesto so the basil oil does not seize or look streaky in the finished sauce.
- Use the starchy pasta water to loosen the sauce if it feels too thick when mixing, saving about a quarter cup before you drain the pasta.