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This easy Chicken Pesto Pasta is a 15-minute dinner recipe that’s so simple to make and is packed with vibrant lemon, garlicky spinach, briny capers, parmesan, and nutty pesto. These fresh ingredients are tossed together with al dente pasta and juicy chunks of chicken to create one deliciously easy dinner.
If you love quick and easy pasta recipes, be sure to check out my Easy Chicken Tetrazzini, my dump-and-bake One-Pan Orzo Tuscan Chicken Bake, or my One-Pan Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Rice.
After recently giving birth to our first child last month, time has become much more valuable, and I have less of it to spare in the kitchen for dinner. But as you can imagine, we have reached our limit on fast food and dearly miss my homemade meals. So I’ve been on a mission to create recipes that require minimal effort while not compromising on flavor, and that is how I came up with this easy chicken pesto pasta.
Why This Chicken Pesto Pasta Works:
Picture this: chicken piccata meets pesto! The garlic, wilted spinach, capers, lemon, and parmesan are very reminiscent of chicken piccata, but this dish is free of butter or white wine. Instead, we make a simple sauce with the pesto, lemon, and pasta water. Then fold in the spinach and capers with the pasta and chicken, and dinner is ready.
The prep time is so minimal since we are using ready-made ingredients, and the chicken and spinach cook while the pasta is cooking.
This has quickly become one of our all-time favorite pasta dishes.
Key Ingredients
Pasta – I love fusilli (corkscrew) pasta for this recipe because the sauce gets trapped in all those little crevices. Any short or long pasta will do.
Chicken – diced chicken breasts work great but I love using diced tenderloins for optimum juiciness.
Garlic & Seasonings – fresh garlic and a simple combination of salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes.
Pesto – getting a quality pre-made pesto is essential. I opted for a pistachio pesto, but standard pesto works great too. You can also make your own, and I’ve outlined that in my recipe card below.
Parmesan – grated off the rind is always best if time allows; otherwise, select a grated Parmesan without any fillers.
Capers – these add the right amount of briny flavor
Spinach – fresh spinach sauteed with garlic and cooked until wilted
Lemon – we’ll use both the zest and the juice
Recipe Steps
Season chicken with a combination of salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add salt, and cook the pasta to al dente according to the package instructions. Reserve a 1/2 cup of pasta water.
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet to medium heat and drizzle in enough olive oil to coat the bottom (2-3 tablespoons). Cook chicken about 4 minutes per side, flipping once. During the last 1-2 minutes of cook time, add in 2 teaspoons of minced garlic and saute with the chicken. Set aside under tented foil.
In the same skillet over low heat, add a little more olive oil and the remaining garlic, saute for 30 seconds, then add the spinach. Use tongs to toss the spinach to ensure it cooks evenly, cooking about 2-3 minutes or until it’s wilted.
In a large bowl, combine pesto, capers, red pepper flakes, lemon juice and zest, 1 cup parmesan, and 1/4 cup pasta water. Stir until it comes together into a sauce. Fold in the spinach, pasta, and chicken, along with the remaining parmesan and pasta water. Toss everything together until it’s evenly coated. Taste and sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper if needed.
Reheating & Storage
Of course, this easy chicken pesto pasta is best served immediately, as the sauce gets absorbed into the noodles as it cools. But it also makes for great leftovers if you follow one key step before reheating it.
The best way to reheat any pasta dish is to add moisture back into the pasta first. Add your desired portion into a microwave-safe bowl and sprinkle over a few teaspoons of chicken stock. Heat in the microwave until warmed through, stirring as needed.
Looking for More Easy Pasta Recipes?
Easy Chicken Tetrazzini
One-Pan Orzo Tuscan Chicken Bake
Chicken Spaghetti with Rotel
One-Pan Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Rice
Creamy Sausage Alfredo Bake
One-Pan Creamy Tuscan Pasta
I hope you enjoyed this recipe for Easy Chicken Pesto Pasta! Be sure to comment below with any questions or feedback!
If you make these or any other recipes, don’t forget to tag me on IG @BadBatchBaking to be featured on my story. Seeing your recreations makes my day!
Easy Chicken Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb. fusilli pasta
- 1.5 lbs chicken tenderloins or breast diced
- 6 oz jar pesto*
- 1/2 cup capers drained
- 5 oz fresh spinach
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning salt-free
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1-2 tsp red pepper flakes depending on your spice preference
- 1.5 cups parmesan grated
Instructions
- Season chicken with a combination of salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and 1 tsp red pepper flakes.
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add salt, and cook the pasta to al dente according to the package instructions. Reserve a 1/2 cup of pasta water.
- Meanwhile, heat a large skillet to medium heat and drizzle in enough olive oil to coat the bottom (2-3 tablespoons). Cook chicken about 4 minutes per side, flipping once. During the last 1-2 minutes of cook time, add in 2 teaspoons of minced garlic and saute with the chicken. Set aside under tented foil.
- In the same skillet over low heat, add a little more olive oil and the remaining garlic, saute for 30 seconds, then add the spinach. Use tongs to toss the spinach to ensure it cooks evenly, cooking about 2-3 minutes or until it’s wilted.
- In a large bowl, combine pesto, capers, red pepper flakes, lemon juice and zest, 1 cup parmesan, and 1/4 cup pasta water. Stir until it comes together into a sauce. Fold in the spinach, pasta, and chicken, along with the remaining parmesan and pasta water. Toss everything together until it’s evenly coated. Taste and sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper if needed.
Notes
- 3 cups lightly-packed fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1/3 cup pine nuts or shelled pistachios
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
