Pesto Chicken Pasta Bake (Printable Version)

Baked penne with tender chicken, creamy basil pesto sauce, and melted mozzarella—ready in under an hour.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne or rigatoni

→ Chicken

02 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 10 oz), diced

→ Sauce

03 - 3/4 cup basil pesto (store-bought or homemade)
04 - 2/3 cup heavy cream
05 - 3 tbsp whole milk

→ Cheese & Topping

06 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
07 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
08 - 1 tbsp olive oil
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Optional Add-ins

10 - 3.5 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
11 - 2.5 oz baby spinach

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with olive oil or cooking spray.
02 - Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the penne or rigatoni and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain well and set aside.
03 - While the pasta cooks, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced chicken breasts, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook for 6–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature reaches 165°F). Remove from heat and set aside.
04 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained pasta, seared chicken, basil pesto, heavy cream, milk, and half of the shredded mozzarella. If using cherry tomatoes or baby spinach, fold them in now. Toss everything together until evenly coated.
05 - Transfer the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading it into an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and all of the grated Parmesan evenly over the top.
06 - Bake on the center rack for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden brown in spots. If a deeper crust is desired, broil for the final 2–3 minutes, watching carefully to prevent burning.
07 - Remove from the oven and let the bake stand for 5 minutes to set. Garnish with fresh basil leaves if desired, then serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The pesto and cream combo creates a sauce that tastes like you spent hours making it, even though it comes together in minutes.
  • It reheats beautifully the next day, making it ideal for meal prep or a no stress second dinner.
  • You probably already have most of these ingredients sitting in your kitchen right now.
02 -
  • Undercook the pasta by one minute because it will continue cooking in the oven and nobody wants mushy baked pasta.
  • Let the bake rest those full 5 minutes or the sauce will be too runny when you scoop it.
  • If using rotisserie chicken, skip the searing step and just shred it straight into the mix to save ten minutes.
03 -
  • Reserve a quarter cup of pasta water before draining and stir it into the sauce mixture for extra silkiness and better adhesion.
  • Sun dried tomatoes chopped and folded in alongside the cherry tomatoes add a tangy, concentrated punch that people always ask about.

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