• Home
  • About Me
  • Contact Me
  • Blog
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Carrie’s Experimental Kitchen

  • Home
  • Shop
  • Recipe Index
  • Ethnic Cuisines
    • Asian
    • French
    • German
    • Irish
    • Italian
    • Mediterranean
    • Mexican
    • Portuguese
  • Testimonials
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Shop
  • Recipe Index
  • About Me
  • Contact Me
×
Home » Recipes » Pasta Recipes

July 13, 2020 · 2 Comments

Skillet Pesto Chicken Pasta

30 Minutes or Less· Chicken Recipes· Italian· Pasta Recipes· Skillet Meals

1665 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Threads
  • Bluesky
Jump to Recipe -
Pesto Chicken Pasta made in a skillet.
Skillet Pesto Chicken Pasta collage photo

Penne pasta combined with boneless chicken in a homemade pesto sauce; then cooked on top of the stove in a skillet is a quick and easy weeknight meal. 

Penne pasta with boneless chicken in a homemade pesto sauce cooked in a pan.

Making meals on top of the stove like this Skillet Pesto Chicken Pasta makes me so happy. Not only do you have less mess to clean up, you can generally get dinner on the table much quicker too!

I've mentioned over the years that we grow herbs on our deck during the warmer months and this year is no exception. However, my husband tends to go a little overboard with how many he purchases and I wind up with SO many fresh herbs that I can never use before they go bad. 

That's why I tend to freeze them to use during the colder months when growing anything outside in New Jersey is virtually impossible. Right now, I have SO much fresh basil that it warranted me making a new recipe that uses pesto. 

Though I've shared quite a few recipes with pesto, I never made a separate post for it. Probably because it's so easy and takes only 5 minutes to make; which is why I will also include the recipe again here today.

Classic Basil Pesto

How do you make pesto?

A typical pesto is made with fresh basil leaves, garlic, EVOO, grated Pecorino Romano (or Parmesan) cheese and pine nuts. Rarely do I even use pine nuts in my pesto because they are very expensive. To be honest I can hardly taste them even when I do use it in my recipe so why bother right?

Some people think of the word "pesto" and automatically think it's too labor intensive to make. That's so far from the truth as long as you have a mini food chopper; which i couldn't live without!

Add all of the ingredients to your chopper, pulse until smooth and that's it.

Classic Basil Pesto

Classic Basil Pesto

Carrie's Experimental Kitchen
Basil pesto made with fresh basil, garlic, extra virgin olive oil and grated cheese.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Total Time 5 minutes mins
Course Condiments
Cuisine Italian

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ¼ cup grated pecorino romano cheese
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Add all ingredients in a mini food chopper and blend until smooth.
Keyword pesto
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

Now you're all set to make this Skillet Pesto Chicken Pasta!

Skillet Pesto Chicken Pasta

How do you make Skillet Pesto Chicken Pasta?

For this recipe you'll need boneless chicken breasts, EVOO, pasta, chicken broth and prepared pesto. Start by dicing the chicken int bite sized pieces; then heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.

Cook for approximately 5-6 minutes until the chicken is almost cooked through; then add the dry pasta and chicken broth. Place a cover on the skillet and reduce heat to low until the pasta is cooked al dente and there is no more liquid in the pan. Finally, add the pesto, stir until well blended and serve. 

I used penne pasta and it took approximately 15-20 minutes for the liquid to absorb. However every stove temperature is slightly different so watch to make sure the pasta is cooked once the liquid is absorbed.

A close up of Pesto Chicken Pasta

If not, just add a little bit more chicken broth until the pasta is cooked to your liking. If you use other pasta shapes, the cooking times will vary depending on the size used.

Also, you'll need to adjust the chicken broth slightly to accommodate other shapes. This Skillet Pesto Chicken Pasta recipe did not disappoint and it was ready in under 30 minutes!

My basil plants have since recouped what I've already trimmed down so it looks like I'll be making more pesto in the near future. ~Enjoy! 

VISIT THE RECIPE INDEX TO SEARCH FOR MORE RECIPES BY CATEGORY.

Skillet Pesto Chicken Pasta

Skillet Pesto Chicken Pasta

Carrie's Experimental Kitchen
Penne pasta combined with boneless chicken in a homemade pesto sauce; then cooked on top of the stove in a skillet is a quick and easy weeknight meal.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Course Main Entree
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 8 ounces boneless chicken breast
  • 8 ounces penne pasta
  • 3 ½ cups chicken broth
  • ½ cup prepared pesto

Instructions
 

  • Start by dicing the chicken int bite sized pieces; then heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.
  • Cook for approximately 5-6 minutes until the chicken is almost cooked through; then add the dry pasta and chicken broth.
  • Place a cover on the skillet and reduce heat to low until the pasta is cooked al dente and there is no more liquid in the pan.
  • Finally add the pesto, stir until well blended and serve.

Notes

*I used penne pasta and it took approximately 15-20 minutes for the liquid to absorb. However every stove temperature is slightly different so watch to make sure the pasta is cooked once the liquid is absorbed.
If not, just add a little bit more chicken broth until the pasta is cooked to your liking.
If you use other pasta shapes, the cooking times will vary depending on the size used. Also, you'll need to adjust the chicken broth slightly to accommodate other shapes. 

Nutrition

Calories: 459kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 25gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 421mgPotassium: 514mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 642IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 73mgIron: 2mg
Keyword chicken, pasta, skillet
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

Related Recipes

Pesto Chicken with Fire Roasted Tomatoes & Olives

Chicken Pesto with Fire Roasted Tomatoes & Olives

Chicken Cutlet Sandwich with Bacon, Avocado & Pesto on Ciabatta

Chicken Cutlet Sandwich with Bacon, Avocado and Pesto

Pesto Mac n' Cheese

Pesto Mac n' Cheese

SIGN UP FOR MY WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AND RECEIVE A FREE EBOOK!

Skillet Pesto Chicken Pasta collage photo

CONNECT WITH ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA

FACEBOOK | X | PINTEREST | INSTAGRAM | BLOGLOVIN’

Tried a recipe? Leave a comment or tag #CarriesExpKtchn on Instagram or Twitter!

More Pasta Recipes

  • italian sausage and tortellini with broccoli in a pink cream sauce
    Tortellini with Sausage and Broccoli in a Pink Cream Sauce
  • a white pasta bowl filled with lemon pepper rigatoni with grilled chicken
    Lemon Pepper Rigatoni with Grilled Chicken
  • sausage lasagna in a red dish
    Sausage, Spinach & Mushroom Lasagna
  • baked macaroni with ground turkey in a white dish
    Ground Turkey Baked Macaroni
Previous Post: « Frosted Lemonade (Chick-Fil-A Copycat)
Next Post: Key Lime Pie Ice Cream »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Brandie says

    August 11, 2021 at 7:43 pm

    Made this tonight and my children loved it! Used rotini and sprinkled shredded parm on it at the end. I loved how easy it was and that it was one pot! Will definitely make again!

    Reply
    • Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says

      August 12, 2021 at 8:45 am

      It's one of our favorites too, I'm so glad you liked the recipe!

      Reply

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Welcome

Not sure what to make for dinner? The ingredients for a quick and easy family-friendly home cooked meal are right in front of you. Join me as experiment with new recipes sourced by local, fresh ingredients. Enjoy!

Stay up to date

Categories

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Contact

Copyright © 2025 · Carrie's Experimental Kitchen