Description
Make a simple, comforting Pesto Chicken Pasta Bake perfect for busy weeknights. You can use store-bought or homemade pesto to make this dish fast and flavorful.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound pasta (penne or rotini recommended)
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
- 1 cup prepared pesto sauce (store-bought or homemade)
- 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain well.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, shredded chicken, pesto sauce, and heavy cream. Mix until everything is evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper.
- Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese evenly over the top.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and lightly golden brown.
- Let it cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- For extra flavor, add a handful of cherry tomatoes or chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the mix.
- If you prefer a lighter sauce, substitute the heavy cream with milk, though the bake might be slightly less rich.
- This recipe works well with leftover rotisserie chicken.
- You can add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes before baking for a little heat.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: Estimate needed
- Sugar: Estimate needed
- Sodium: Estimate needed
- Fat: Estimate needed
- Saturated Fat: Estimate needed
- Unsaturated Fat: Estimate needed
- Trans Fat: Estimate needed
- Carbohydrates: Estimate needed
- Fiber: Estimate needed
- Protein: Estimate needed
- Cholesterol: Estimate needed