Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta Bake

Ingredients

• 1 lb pasta of choice (cooked al dente)
• 0.5 cup sun-dried tomatoes (plus oil from the jar)
• 1 lb chicken (cut into bite-sized pieces after cooking)
• 1 tbsp butter
• 0.5 yellow onion (diced)
• salt (to taste)
• pepper (to taste)
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes (to taste)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika (to taste)
• 1 tsp oregano (to taste)
• 7 garlic (6-8 cloves, minced)
• 2 cup heavy cream (room temperature)
• 1.5 cup cooked broccoli (1-2 cups)
• 2 handfuls spinach
• 7 oz parmesan cheese (6-8 oz, freshly shredded, divided)
• 8 oz mozzarella cheese (freshly shredded, divided)
• 0.5 cup pesto (to taste (Costco brand recommended))
• parsley (to garnish)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the heavy cream on the counter to come to room temperature.

2. 2

   Boil your noodles in a large pot of salted water for a few minutes less than the package instructions to achieve an al dente texture. Drain the pasta and set it aside.

3. 3

   In a large oven-safe saucepan or dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar over medium heat.

4. 4

   Add the chicken to the pan and cook until it is no longer pink throughout. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside to rest for a few minutes before cutting it into bite-sized pieces.

5. 5

   In the same pan, melt the butter and add the salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, and oregano. Stir to toast the spices.

6. 6

   Toss in the diced yellow onion and sauté for about 4 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.

7. 7

   Turn the heat down to low, pour in the room-temperature heavy cream, and stir. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes to thicken slightly.

8. 8

   Add half of the shredded parmesan and 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese to the sauce. Stir until the cheese is completely melted and the sauce is smooth.

9. 9

   Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, cooked broccoli, spinach, chicken pieces, cooked pasta, and pesto until everything is well combined.

10. 10

    Top the mixture with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

11. 11

    Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. Then, turn the oven to broil and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the cheese on top is golden brown and bubbly.

12. 12

    Sprinkle with fresh parsley and a little more parmesan cheese before serving.

Notes

The author recommends using Costco brand pesto for the best flavor. Sun-dried tomato pesto can also be used as a variation. Ensure the cream is at room temperature to prevent the sauce from breaking when added to the pan.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• dinner
• pasta bake
• chicken
• pesto
• baked
• easy recipe
• comfort food