Name: Pesto Chicken & Pasta
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: Olive Oil; 3-4 chicken breasts (boneless skinless (thin) or 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken tenders); 1 can (14 oz petite diced tomatoes, undrained); 1 can (14 oz crushed tomatoes, undrained); 1/2 cup pesto sauce; Tablespoon minced garlic; salt and pepper to taste; Fresh cooked pasta of your choice (for serving); Few tablespoons grated parmesan cheese (optional)

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This easy and delicious Pesto Chicken Pasta is sure to become a family favorite!

Twenty years ago, when I was a newlywed and had my very own kitchen for the first time, I spent a great deal of time trying out new recipes to find new things that Ricky liked. One of my most successful finds in this area was a little paperback cookbook brochure up at the checkout counter. Just about every recipe I tried became a favorite. I tweaked them a bit to fit our own tastes and then passed them on for Mama to try. When they got rave reviews from both of us, I knew I had a winner.

This Pesto Chicken and Pasta is one of those recipes. The original version was a bit more complicated but things tend to get streamlined and simplified in my kitchen, I don’t have time for fussy dishes, and the easy version of this has been a favorite for two decades.

This recipe uses items I generally have on hand. Sometimes I have to go buy the Pesto sauce but that is about it.

Recipe Ingredients:

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 1.5 pounds chicken tenders
Petite diced tomatoes (undrained)
Crushed tomatoes (undrained)
Pesto sauce, minced garlic,
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil
You’ll also need some pasta of your choice (my daughter loves bowties) and a few tablespoons of parmesan cheese if you’d like, but that is totally optional.

Low Carb Tip

If you’d like to keep this on the lower carb side, just use zero carb pasta or have this dish without any pasta at all, the chicken and sauce are enough on their own to satisfy.

What Is Actually In Pesto?

I dearly love Pesto. I usually pick up a jar at Aldi. If you’ve never bought it before it is basically basil, garlic, cheeses, and some olive oil. You can find it near the spaghetti sauce at pretty much any grocery. As far as flavor goes, it packs a delicious punch!

Recipe instructions and specific ingredients are in the recipe card a bit further down.

How To Make Chicken Pesto Pasta Step by Step

Heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook, turning as needed, until browned on both sides. It doesn’t have to be fully cooked at this point.

If you used boneless skinless chicken breasts

Slice them after you are done cooking them. The reason being that this makes the serving sizes more balanced for my family. Not everyone eats an entire chicken breast at one meal so slicing it up makes it easier for me to portion out. You don’t have to do this unless you just want to.

Return chicken to pan. Add garlic, tomatoes, pesto sauce, salt, and pepper.

Reduce heat to medium low and cook until chicken is fully done and no longer pink in the center.

Ooh goodness gracious! Look at that delicious sauce covering up all the wonderful chicken!

To serve, place chicken breasts or tenderloins over hot fresh cooked pasta and spoon sauce over. Garnish with parmesan.

Enjoy your fresh and flavorful family pleasing meal of Pesto Chicken & Pasta!