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If you’ve got 20 minutes, then you’ve got time to make this basil pesto chicken pasta. It’s loaded with sun-dried tomatoes, broccoli, and tossed in a fresh homemade basil pesto. This will be an instant family favorite and be on regular dinner rotation!
Fresh and Flavorful: Pesto Chicken Pasta
Just like my other simple weeknight pasta meals (Sloppy Joe Mac and Cheese, Cajun Chicken Alfredo Pasta, and One Pot Garlic Parmesan Pasta), this pesto chicken pasta is impressively easy and filled with nutritious ingredients to satisfy. The chicken gives a great protein-boost to this pesto chicken pasta in addition to all the vegetables! Sun-dried tomatoes are one of my favorite ingredients to use as they’re so flavorful and I love their chewy and soft texture. It really helps to elevate the dish.
Have an abundance of fresh basil? Make homemade basil pesto and use it in this pesto chicken pasta dish! Honestly, you can’t beat how fresh homemade pesto is. The orecchiette pasta are like little “cups” that catch the pesto so you have some in every bite!
Pesto Chicken Pasta Recipe Variations
- Make this vegetarian. Omit the chicken and use navy beans or great northern beans in place of the chicken. Alternatively, using a plant-based protein like tofu would be a great replacement.
- Use a different meat. Spicy Italian pork sausage would compliment the basil pesto so well! Ground turkey, ground chicken, or even chicken sausage would work excellent in this.
- Creamy and cheesy. Dollop some whole milk ricotta cheese on top and mix it throughout the pasta dish to finish. Goat cheese (if you like it) or freshly grated parmesan cheese are options too!
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Allow leftovers to cool then use the following to store and reheat:
- To store. Place leftover pasta in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- To reheat. Portion out leftovers into a microwave-safe bowl and reheat in the microwave until warmed through. You may need a splash of water to loosen things up. You can also reheat leftovers on the stovetop in a skillet until warmed through.
Basil Pesto Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 cups (150 g) dried orecchiette pasta
- ½ cup sundried tomatoes in olive oil, julienned
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ½ large onion, diced
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, (if you're sensitive to spice you might want to start out with 1/4 teaspoon)
- 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed into 1" cubes
- 4 tablespoons basil pesto, homemade or store-bought
- 1 cup (91 g) broccoli florets, blanched
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to the directions on the box. Once done, drain well and set aside.2 cups (150 g) dried orecchiette pasta
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 teaspoon of oil from the sun-dried tomatoes. Add sun-dried tomatoes, garlic slices, onion, and crushed red pepper flakes. Sauté until fragrant and onions are translucent, about 3-4 minutes.1/2 cup sundried tomatoes in olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 large onion, 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Add the cubed chicken breast to the skillet and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
- Add the basil pesto to the skillet and turn heat down to medium-low. The basil pesto might be a bit thick so you can thin it out by adding 1 tablespoon of water to the skillet, if needed.4 tablespoons basil pesto
- Add the blanched broccoli florets and cooked pasta to the skillet. Toss until everything is coated in the pesto and the ingredients are all evenly distributed. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.1 cup (91 g) broccoli florets, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Photographs by Eat Love Eat
Delicious! Great blend of flavors and the pasta makes it all that much more special. Hubby who is a real meat hound said this was a keeper. I only used the 1/4 tap red pepper and that was perfect.
Glad you enjoyed!!!
I couldn’t even get to the recipe due to the tone of how this post started. It says quite a bit about you and I won’t be looking at any other of your shallow post!! What the hell does your female hairstylist struggling to make a change for the better, depending on other females to support her have to do with a freakin recipe?!?!
Shame on you!!
Well considering you made it down to the comments section, bravo on you for getting past the recipe! You do realize you’re on a fucking BLOG right? Meaning a blog is a journal where the writer uses it like a diary? This isn’t a RECIPE SITE. This is a BLOG. With a real fucking human behind it that has a story to tell. So, THAT is what it has to do with the freakin recipe. Shame on you for shaming me for writing what I want on my blog.
@Julie Wampler, You go, girl!
“Fuckin’ pesto, man. This dish is the tits,” said my husband, shoveling pasta into his mouth.
LOL
Any tips to keep the orecchiette from sticking together?
Add a little bit of oil into the pasta water :)
FABULOUS RECIPE. EASY TOO.
I made this dish tonight for dinner. WOW was it gooooood!! I make pesto with cilantro…Mexican flavours. So it was a little twist on the recipe but yummy
Hi Julie (?)! I love your blog, just stumbled on this recipe…I gotta say the rest of your blog looks amazing! I’m also trying to be a successful food blogger- you give me inspiration! thanks! also, I’m a college student, so this recipe is awesome for a quick and easy dinner. :) Keep at it ~
Aw thank you so much, Elaine! What a sweet comment. <3
I made this for dinner last night. I’m constantly looking for pasta dishes without cream or cheese. This was delicious and definitely a keeper! I can’t wait to make it again.
We tried this last night. I used homemade pesto, chicken and broccoli just as you described. I also added Parmesan and a it of lemon juice at the end for Extra flavor. It was yummy! Next time I would remove sundried tomatoes and onions from pan, then cook chicken, then add veggies back in. As directed the tomatoes garlic and onion had a burnt flavor because they were over cooked while the chicken cooked through. But I think the recipe is a keeper. So many great flavors! Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed this!!
Thank you for sharing this! I made this recipe two nights ago and it was a success! I did not have sun dried tomatoes on hand so I left that out, but it was still sooo good. Even all four of my children aged 2 through 17 licked their plates clean. I added the chicken last, since my 13 year old is a vegetarian – I took hers out before adding the meat. She thought it was supper filling without the chicken too. Thank you, this will be in my rotation from now on!
I’m so happy to hear everyone enjoyed this!!