Description
Creamy pesto chicken pasta baked with mozzarella and Parmesan for a rich, comforting Italian-American dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
- 10.5 ounces penne or rigatoni pasta
- 2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup basil pesto
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 3.5 ounces baby spinach
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Cook pasta 2 minutes less than package directions, drain and set aside.
- Season and sauté chicken in olive oil until fully cooked, about 5–6 minutes.
- Melt butter in skillet, sauté garlic for 30 seconds.
- Add heavy cream and milk, simmer 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Stir in pesto and Parmesan until smooth.
- Combine pasta, chicken, and spinach with sauce.
- Transfer to baking dish and top with mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Bake uncovered 20–25 minutes until golden and bubbly.
- Rest 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Do not overcook pasta before baking.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan for best melting.
- Add a splash of milk when reheating leftovers to keep sauce creamy.
- Nutrition values are estimates only.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 portion
- Calories: 620
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 34g
- Saturated Fat: 17g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 38g
- Cholesterol: 135mg