Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta is packed with flavor, easy to make, and even easier to eat. Juicy and tender chicken is smothered in a creamy pesto alfredo sauce and tossed together with spaghetti and bursting cherry tomatoes. It’s a quick 30 minute recipe that will satisfy the whole family.

This creamy pesto Chicken pasta also stores well, leaving delicious leftovers to pack for lunch throughout the week. Plus, it’s freezer-friendly, so you can enjoy leftovers for even longer — if there’s any left over, that is.

Why You'll Love Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta

• Vibrant Italian flavor. Transport your taste buds to the Italian countryside with earthy pesto, crunchy pine nuts, and tomatoes in this creamy chicken pasta. It’s seriously the best.
• It’s ready in 30 minutes. This creamy pesto pasta with chicken needs just a small time investment. It is ready in only thirty minutes — making it great for weeknight dinners after work or on hectic weekends on-the-go.
• Easy to make. This pesto chicken pasta dish serves up complex flavors without the complex prep work. A few basic cooking skills and some multitasking will reward you with a delicious meal that looks and tastes like it took a lot more work to make!
• Perfect end-of-summer dinner. This recipe is great for using up basil pesto and cherry tomatoes while they’re still in season at the end of a long, hot summer. But the good news is that these items are readily available at the grocery store all year long, so you can enjoy this creamy pesto alfredo chicken pasta whenever you want!

Ingredient Notes

To make this delicious Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):

• pasta - I like using a long noodle such as spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine, but you can swap the spaghetti noodles in this pesto chicken pasta for any preferred shape of pasta–fresh or homemade. Just make sure you adjust the cooking time if needed, according to the directions on the box.
• chicken breast - if you prefer dark meat you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs.
• pesto sauce - store-bought pesto is perfectly fine to use, but if you have the spare time (or an abundance of basil in your kitchen garden), a homemade pesto sauce adds an extra fresh touch to this pasta.
• vegetable oil - we used avocado oil but if you don’t have avocado oil, the. olive oil or another neutral-flavored oil with a high smoke point will work.
• butter - if someone in your family is allergic to dairy, you can use a plant-based butter alternative instead.
• red onion - different types of onions have distinctly different flavors, but if you don’t have any red onion on hand, white or yellow will yield a similar result.
• garlic - you can substitute fresh garlic for pre-minced garlic at a ratio of ½ to 1 teaspoon per clove in the recipe.
• cherry tomatoes
• heavy cream - a non-dairy heavy cream (like unsweetened coconut cream) will work if you’re lactose intolerant or sensitive to dairy, but it may change the flavor slightly depending on the kind you choose.
• chicken broth - vegetable broth or bone broth works just as well in this recipe.
• salt and pepper
• pine nuts - pine nuts can sometimes be difficult to find and are often a tad more expensive than other nuts. Chopped or crushed walnuts are a great substitute.

You will also need measuring cups and spoons, a large cooking pot, and a large skillet.

How to Make the Best Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta

1. Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add spaghetti noodles and cook until al dente (fully cooked but still firm) according to package directions, about 10-12 minutes. Rinse the noodles under cold water to cool off completely and set aside in the pot.
2. Season the chicken. Use a paper towel to pat the chicken breasts completely dry. Season well with salt, pepper, and pesto. Set aside for 5 minutes.
3. Sear the chicken. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes until the hot oil is sizzling hot. Sear the chicken until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes on each side. The internal temperature for the chicken should reach 165F as read on a meat thermometer. Cut the chicken into strips and set aside on a plate.
4. Make the sauce: In the same skillet, add butter and allow it to melt until starting to bubble, about 1 minute. Add onion, garlic, and tomatoes. Sauté until the tomatoes burst, about 4-5 minutes. Whisk in heavy cream, chicken broth, and pesto sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer and stir occasionally until thickened to a desired consistency, about 3-4 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Assemble. Add the cooked chicken to the sauce, and toss well to coat. Add in the pasta and toss again to combine. Garnish with pine nuts and serve warm.

How to Serve

This creamy pesto chicken pasta makes a hearty meal by itself, but it can be stretched farther if you add complimentary sides. A simple chopped salad pairs perfectly with this flavor powerhouse pasta.

Some other delicious sides that this pairs well with are:

• Caesar Salad
• Garlic Breadsticks
• Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
• Caprese Salad
• Garlic Knots
• Antipasto Skewers

More Pasta Recipes

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• Pesto Penne Pasta
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• Mascarpone Pesto Pasta
• Tuna Pasta