Pesto Chicken Pasta Bake (Printable)
Baked penne with chicken, basil pesto, cream, and melted mozzarella—ready in under an hour.
# 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 - ½ tsp salt
05 - ¼ tsp black pepper
→ Sauce & Flavorings
06 - ½ cup basil pesto (homemade or store-bought)
07 - ⅔ cup heavy cream
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (optional)
→ Cheese
10 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella
11 - ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
→ Garnish
12 - Fresh basil leaves (optional)
# How To Make:
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.
04 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained pasta, cooked chicken, basil pesto, heavy cream, minced garlic, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Toss until all ingredients are evenly coated.
05 - Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish, spreading it into an even layer. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan evenly over the top.
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 rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil leaves if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It transforms a handful of everyday ingredients into something that tastes like you spent far more than fifty minutes on it.
- The leftovers reheat beautifully which means lunch the next day feels like a gift to your future self.
02 -
- Undercooking the pasta by one minute is the single most important step because nothing is sadder than a bake with collapsed flabby pasta.
- Letting the bake rest those five minutes before scooping makes the difference between a soupy mess and perfectly set portions.
03 -
- Taste your pesto before adding salt to the cream mixture because some store bought varieties are already quite salty and you can always add more but cannot take it away.
- Shred your own mozzarella from a block rather than buying pre shredded because the anti caking agents on bagged cheese prevent it from melting into those beautiful stretchy pools.