One-Pot Meals are the perfect solution for an easy dinner. Less dishes to clean up and this One-Pot Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta even cooks in 30 minutes or less. Cream Cheese makes this pesto pasta nice and creamy. Using chicken broth instead of water to cook the pasta adds extra flavor.
I love using pesto easily add flavor to meals. You can use the rest of the basil pesto for this Salmon Pesto Pasta or Pesto Feta Phyllo Cup appetizer recipe. Or for a fun pesto spin, check out this Lemon Parsley Pesto with Pasta recipe.
Ingredients you'll need for this recipe:
- Chicken Breasts - Boneless and Skinless. You could sub boneless, skinless chicken thighs as well.
- Olive Oil
- Garlic
- ½ lb of Pasta - Short pasta is preferred like farfalle, rigatoni, or penne
- Chicken Broth - cooking the pasta in broth vs water makes this pasta extra flavorful
- Cream Cheese
- Basil Pesto - homemade or store-bought
- Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Spices: Salt, Pepper, and Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
For this one-pot pasta recipe you'll want to use a large pot or skillet that is big enough for the whole recipe. I like to use a deep sauté pan but a dutch oven would also work. Make sure you use a pan that has a tight fitting lid.
The first step is to brown the chicken and sauté the garlic. The chicken doesn't need to be fully cooked at this point because it will continue to cook when we add and cook the pasta. Add in the pasta and broth and bring to a covered boil/simmer.
Once the pasta is cooked, add the cream cheese, parmesan cheese, pesto, and spices. Stir it all together so it's nice and creamy and combined.
That's it! Dinner is served. I like to sprinkle with some fresh parsley before serving. It's great with some crusty bread and a salad on the side.
Try these other One-Pot Pasta Recipes:
- One-Pot Spicy Sausage Pasta
- One-Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Instant Pot Mac & Cheese
- One-Pot Spinach Artichoke Pesto Pasta
- One-Pot Lighter Beef Stroganoff
- Slow Cooker Mac & Cheese
- One-Pot Sun Dried Tomato Pasta
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PrintRecipe
One-Pot Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta
One-Pot Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta is an easy 30-minute meal that has only one dish to clean up! Cream Cheese makes this pesto pasta nice and creamy and using chicken broth instead of water to cook the pasta adds extra flavor.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Mains, Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Cut into chunks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ lb short pasta like fusilli, penne, rigatoni, or farfalle
- 1 15oz can chicken broth
- 4 ounces cream cheese. Cut into cubes.
- ⅓ cup basil pesto
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and Pepper
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Season the chicken breast cubes with a heavy pinch of salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken and cook until the chicken is slightly browned on all sides. It's okay if the chicken isn't 100% cooked through at this point. Add the garlic and sauté for an addition 30 seconds to 1 minute until the garlic is soft and fragrant.
- Add the uncooked pasta and broth to the skillet. Stir together and scrape any browned bits off the bottom. Cover the skillet with a lid, increase heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce heat so it maintains a simmer. Cook for about 8-9 minutes until the pasta is tender and the liquid is mostly absorbed. Stir the pasta every 2-3 minutes, immediately replacing the lid, so nothing sticks to the bottom.
- Once the pasta is cooked (the chicken should also be cooked through at this point), stir in the cream cheese, pesto, parmesan cheese, and red pepper flakes. Stir until the cream cheese has melted and everything is combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Notes
Chicken is cooked through when the internal temperature reads 165 degrees F.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ of recipe
- Calories: 656
- Sugar: 3.1 g
- Sodium: 506.6 mg
- Fat: 33 g
- Carbohydrates: 46.9 g
- Fiber: 2.2 g
- Protein: 41.9 g
- Cholesterol: 118.6 mg
Katie says
Loved this one pot pasta! The pesto flavor was great