10-Minute Pesto Pasta Chicken (Print Version)

Fast, flavorful pasta featuring shredded chicken and aromatic pesto, perfect for weeknight dinners.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz dried short pasta (penne, fusilli, or farfalle)
02 - Salt, as needed for pasta water

→ Chicken

03 - 2 cups (about 250 g) rotisserie chicken, shredded or chopped

→ Sauce & Finish

04 - 1/2 cup (120 g) high-quality store-bought pesto
05 - 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
06 - 1/4 cup (40 g) grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for serving
07 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
08 - 1/2 cup (about 12 g) fresh basil leaves, torn (optional)
09 - Zest of 1 lemon (optional)

# How To Make:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain pasta.
02 - While pasta cooks, shred or chop rotisserie chicken and set aside.
03 - Return drained pasta to pot over low heat. Stir in olive oil, pesto, and 2 to 3 tablespoons reserved pasta water, coating pasta evenly.
04 - Add shredded chicken and Parmesan cheese to pasta. Toss gently until chicken is warmed through and sauce is creamy, adding extra pasta water if necessary.
05 - Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste. If desired, fold in torn basil leaves and lemon zest.
06 - Transfer to serving dishes and top with additional Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent an hour in the kitchen, but youll be sitting down to eat before the water even has time to cool.
  • The pesto clings to every twist of pasta and soaks into the chicken, making each bite ridiculously flavorful.
  • You can double it, halve it, or toss in whatever vegetables are lurking in your crisper drawer without a single worry.
02 -
  • Always reserve pasta water before draining, because once its gone down the sink, theres no getting it back and your sauce wont be as silky.
  • Dont skip warming the chicken in the pasta pot, because cold chicken straight from the fridge will cool down the whole dish and make the sauce seize up.
03 -
  • Use a good quality pesto, because when theres only a handful of ingredients, each one has to pull its weight.
  • Toss everything in the warm pasta pot instead of a cold bowl, because the residual heat helps the cheese melt and the sauce come together smoothly.
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