Italian Chicken Pesto Pasta

5 from 5 votes

Jun 15, 2023, Updated Dec 07, 2023

It’s hard to not love easy homemade pesto and juicy pulled chicken tossed into pasta. It’s an Italian favorite and go-to dinner any day of the week!

Why You’ll Love This Chicken Pesto Pasta

Homemade Italian pesto can’t be beaten!
Recipe includes juicy pulled chicken that absorbs all the flavors of the homemade pesto.
Make the traditional version served hot, or make it into a chilled pasta salad.

Looking for a new take on pesto? Try this Avocado Pesto!

Gemelli, cavatappi, or rotini pasta – all three of these pasta shapes work really well. They are all short, twisted shapes that have lots of nooks and crannies to hold the pesto!
Chicken breasts – I find that chicken breasts work best for chicken pesto pasta. My method for baking chicken breasts yields the juiciest chicken ever!
Fresh basil – you’ll need a lot of basil for this dish!
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese – Parmigiano-Reggiano is the classic cheese used in pesto. You can use regular parmesan as a less expensive alternative.
Pecorino cheese – pecorino is also a classic, sharp sheep’s cheese used in pesto; however you can use all Parmigiano-Reggiano if preferred!
Extra virgin olive oil – olive oil creates a pesto “sauce”.
Pine nuts – pine nuts are traditional in pesto! They add a creaminess to the sauce, and sweet nuttiness.
Garlic – because pesto = garlic.
Cherry tomatoes – cherry tomatoes add a pop of tart sweetness, freshness, and bright color.
Balsamic vinegar – balsamic is an awesome, quick marinade for the chicken.
Red pepper flake (optional) – if you like a little back heat, add some flakes!

Full instructions in the recipe card; this is just an outline!

Pesto.
Add basil, parmesan, pecorino, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic cloves, and salt to a food processor. Use the pulse setting to pulse pesto to desired consistency.
Chicken.
Drizzle chicken with balsamic and sprinkle with salt. Bake chicken at 425 degrees for 17-21 minutes or until the chicken registers at least 165 degrees. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before using a knife and fork to pull/shred chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Pasta.
Boil pasta, reserving ½ cup of pasta water when pasta is almost done.
Combine.
Add pesto, tomatoes, chicken, and red pepper flakes to drained pasta, and toss. Add pasta water to moisten. Toss again.

Pasta salad instead? Run the pasta under cold water after draining it to rinse off excess starch and cool the pasta down. Toss pasta with the rest of the ingredients as the recipe is written.
Ensure that you tightly pack 1 ½ cups of basil. Insufficiently packed cups will result in an insufficient amount of basil for your pesto.
In the traditional Italian method, a mortar and pestle are commonly used to “grind” and blend pesto, as opposed to a food processor which can generate heat and affect the basil’s flavor. If available, utilize a mortar and pestle. Otherwise, pulse the food processor instead of running it continuously to minimize heat from the blade.
While you can choose to chunk up the chicken, shredded or pulled chicken is ideal for chicken pesto pasta, as it absorbs the pesto sauce more effectively.
Don’t worry if the balsamic burns slightly on the baking sheet when cooking the chicken.
If time permits, it is always preferable to grate the cheese by hand!

Looking to change up chicken pesto pasta? Here are some variations and additions to please any palate:

Make ahead: although pesto chicken pasta is best enjoyed right away, you can make it ahead if you don’t mind pasta that isn’t as al dente and pesto that isn’t as fresh.
Storage: once cooled, store in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Reheating: reheat gently in the microwave or stovetop, stirring often and rejuvenating with a splash of olive oil.
Freezing: the texture of the pasta and the tomatoes will change when frozen, thawed and reheated. If you don’t mind this, freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. I recommend thawing overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.