This Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake is an easy busy weeknight dinner that the whole family will love! Tender chicken, pasta, and creamy pesto sauce are baked together in this delicious recipe.
If you love a great chicken dish, be sure to try Crockpot Chicken and Gravy next!
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Why you'll love this recipe
✔️ Like the Monterey Chicken Pasta Bake, this is a family-friendly meal that is great for busy weeknights!
✔️ You can never go wrong with pesto and pasta together.
✔️ A simple pasta dish that the entire family will love.
Ingredients
For the exact measurements, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- penne pasta - I used regular pasta, but you can use whole wheat pasta, chickpea pasta or gluten free pasta, really use your preference.
- Alfredo sauce
- basil pesto sauce
- cooked chicken - This recipe is a great way to use up a leftover rotisserie chicken. If you have raw chicken on hand, poach or bake it first.
- fresh spinach
- sun dried tomatoes - Roasted cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes are a great replacement for sundried tomatoes if you are in a pinch or if your family doesn't like them.
- fresh mozzarella balls - you could also use shredded mozzarella cheese.
- parmesan cheese
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. For the complete directions just scroll down to the bottom!
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray, and set aside.
- Cook the pasta to al dente, drain well set aside. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
- Dice chicken into small pieces.
- In a large bowl combine the pasta sauce, pesto, diced chicken, sun dried tomatoes, cheese and spinach.
- Now add the pasta. If it's not loose enough add about a ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water - you want it to be saucy, not dry. Mix again.
- Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with parmesan cheese.
- Cover with foil and place in preheated oven for 30 minutes or the casserole is hot and bubbly. Remove foil and place under broiler for two minutes to brown cheese if desired.
Equipment
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- casserole dish
- large pot
- aluminum foil
FAQ's
It really depends on the casserole that you are making. For a casserole like this one, I recommend that you bake it covered.
To brown the cheese remove the foil from the top and place it under the broiler for a couple of minutes. Be sure to watch it closely as it can burn quickly.
Yes, just assemble the casserole, cover it with foil and store it in the fridge until you are ready to bake. Since it will be cooked when you are ready to bake it, you will need to add an extra five minutes to the baking time.
Pesto is one of the easiest pasta sauces to make! (Though we're It contains pine nuts, olive oil, fresh basil and parmesan cheese. It's rich and flavorful without being heavy.
Things to know
- Cook the pasta al dente according to the package directions. Don't forget to save some of the pasta water.
- I use store pesto, however, you can whip up a batch of homemade pesto in your food processor instead if you have the ingredients on hand.
- I like to use whole wheat pasta because I think it adds to the flavor of this pesto chicken pasta bake. But, you can use any type of pasta that you have on hand.
- For easy clean up you can spray your baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, or grease it with butter or oil.
Variations
- Substitute Italian sausage for the chicken - delicious!
- Ricotta cheese is an excellent addition to the casserole.
- Store-bought works, but if you prefer you can make your own pesto.
- Add some heat to this creamy sauce by adding in a dash of red pepper flakes.
Storage
Refrigerate - Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Freezer - You can freeze this pesto chicken bake wrapped in plastic wrap and foil for up to three months.
Reheat - Reheat single servings in the microwave at 50% power for about two minutes. Or multiple servings in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.
Related recipes
- If you love creamy chicken casserole recipes like this chicken pesto pasta bake recipe, then you may also want to give this Chicken Spaghetti with Rotel a try or the Crock Pot Chicken and Spaghetti. Easy recipes full of flavor and always a winner with the whole family.
- This Ultimate Chicken Noodle Casserole is an easy dinner that is loaded with comforting flavors. If you are looking for a hearty meal that will warm you up from the inside out. Then this is the recipe you will want to make next.
- Grab the easy ingredients and make the Chicken and Potato Bake. It's easy and delicious!
- The next time you need some inspiration for a delicious dinner that's not only tasty but also easy to make, look no further than this Creamy Chicken and Potato Bake. The ingredients are easy to find at the grocery store, yet they're flavorful.
Check out this for a ton of Easy Chicken Casserole Recipes!
Serve with
- I love to serve a comfort food meal like this one with a vegetable side dish like this Pan Roasted Vegetable recipe. It's filled with tender vegetables, and flavorful seasonings and only takes about 15 minutes to make.
- You can never go wrong with a freshly baked bread side like these Rolls from Frozen Bread Dough. Your family will rave about these soft and fluffy rolls.
- If you are in the mood for something sweet after a rich meal like this one, make No Bake Pumpkin Pie or Homemade Fudge for dessert! Both are sweet and creamy and you don't even have to turn on the oven to make either recipe!
Still looking for ideas? Check out what to serve with pasta bake here!
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If you love this recipe please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating!
Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- ¾ pound penne pasta cooked to al dente and drained well
- 28 ounces Alfredo sauce
- ¼ cup pesto sauce
- 2-4 cups cooked chicken diced
- 4 cups spinach roughly chopped
- ½ cup sun dried tomatoes
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella balls drained, cut into quarters
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray casserole dish with non stick cooking spray, set aside.
- Cook the pasta to al dente, drain well set aside. Reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
- In a large bowl combine Alfredo Sauce, pesto, diced chicken, sun dried tomatoes, cheese and spinach.
- Now add the pasta. If it's not loose enough add about a ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water - you want it to be saucy, not dry. Mix again.
- Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with parmesan cheese.
- Cover with foil and place in preheated oven for 30 minutes or the casserole is hot and bubbly. Remove foil and place under broiler for two minutes to brown cheese if desired.
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