Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta Bake
Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta Bake
Description
This is not just a regular baked pasta. It’s a rich and elegant creamy pesto chicken pasta that works perfectly for a nice dinner or a special gathering. Fresh basil pesto, juicy chicken, and melted mozzarella create a flavorful dish that looks impressive but is actually very easy to make.
Ingredients
⇵
Pasta
Pesto
Chicken
Creamy Sauce
For Baking
Instructions
Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until almost al dente, about two minutes before it is fully cooked. Reserve some of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
To make the pesto, place the basil leaves, garlic, salt, pine nuts, and parmesan cheese in a food processor.
Add olive oil starting with about half a cup and blend until the pesto becomes smooth. Add more olive oil if needed until you reach a thick but pourable consistency.
Cut the chicken breasts lengthwise, pat them dry, and season lightly with olive oil, salt, and black pepper so the pesto flavor stays dominant.
Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat and cook the chicken until golden on both sides. Remove from the pan and slice.
In the same pan, add the pesto and reduce the heat. Thin the pesto slightly with a little pasta cooking water.
Add the cooking cream and stir until the sauce becomes smooth and creamy.
Once the sauce begins to simmer, add the pasta and the sliced chicken and toss everything together for about two minutes so the pasta absorbs the sauce.
At this point the dish is ready to eat, but for an extra delicious result transfer it to a baking dish.
Top with mozzarella cheese and place in the oven until the cheese melts and becomes lightly golden.
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