Made this last Wednesday when my sister showed up unannounced with her kids around 5:30. Had about twenty minutes to get dinner on the table before the youngest one hit full meltdown mode.
Threw this together with whatever was in the fridge – leftover chicken, some broccoli that needed to get used, jar of pesto from Costco. Everyone ate it without complaining, which for three kids under eight is basically a standing ovation.
Why This Works For Busy Nights
It’s fast. Like actually fast, not “fast” where you still need forty minutes. Start to eating in twenty-five minutes.
Everything happens in one pan while the pasta cooks. No complicated steps, no weird techniques. Just cook some chicken, make a quick cream sauce, dump everything together.
The pesto does most of the flavoring work for you. Even the jar stuff tastes good, so you don’t need to be out there growing basil and crushing pine nuts unless you’re into that.
My brother-in-law, who claims he doesn’t like “fancy pasta,” had two servings and texted me later asking how to make it. If it passes the picky eater test, it’s solid.
What You Need
Main stuff:
- 2 chicken breasts, sliced into strips
- 4 cups cooked pasta (whatever short shape you’ve got – penne, rigatoni, shells)
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 cup cream (light cream or half-and-half)
- 1/4 cup pesto (jarred is totally fine)
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan
- Half an onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil for cooking
Basically if you keep chicken, pasta, and pesto around, you’re most of the way there. The broccoli can be frozen if that’s what you have.
Making It Happen
Get a big pot of salted water boiling for your pasta. Cook it according to the box directions, but pull it one minute early – you want it firm, not mushy. About a minute before you drain it, throw the broccoli in. Fresh or frozen, doesn’t matter. Dump it right in with the pasta.
Drain everything together and set it aside.
While the pasta’s cooking, heat some olive oil in your biggest pan over medium-high. Toss in the chopped onion and cook it for maybe three minutes until it softens up.
Add the garlic and let it cook for like thirty seconds – just until it smells good. Don’t let it burn or it gets bitter.
Season your chicken strips with salt and pepper. Push the onion and garlic to the side and add the chicken to the pan. Cook it for 5-7 minutes, flipping the pieces around until they’re cooked through and a little browned.
Now comes the easy part. Pour in your cream, add the pesto and parmesan, season with more salt and pepper. Stir everything together and let it simmer for a couple minutes until it thickens slightly.
Add your cooked pasta and broccoli to the pan. Mix it all up so everything gets coated in that sauce. Let it simmer another minute or two so the pasta absorbs some flavor.
Done. Seriously, that’s it.
Things I’ve Figured Out
Don’t overcook the broccoli. Adding it to the pasta water in the last minute gives you broccoli that’s tender but not mushy. Nobody wants grey mush broccoli.
Slice the chicken thin. Thinner strips cook faster and are easier to eat with pasta. Big chunks are awkward.
Use real parmesan if you can. The stuff you grate yourself melts way better than the pre-shredded. But honestly, pre-shredded works if that’s what you’ve got.
The sauce will thicken as it sits. If you’re reheating leftovers, add a splash of milk or pasta water to loosen it back up.
Cook your pasta properly. Under-salted pasta water makes bland pasta. Add enough salt that it tastes like the ocean. Sounds dramatic but it’s true.
Different Ways to Do It
The basic recipe’s great but you can definitely switch things up.
Add mushrooms with the onions. Sliced baby bellas or creminis work perfect.
Throw in sun-dried tomatoes for more flavor. Just chop them up and add them with the pesto.
Use whatever vegetables you need to use up. Spinach, zucchini, bell peppers – they all work. Just adjust cooking times so everything’s tender.
Could swap chicken for shrimp. Cook the shrimp for like 3-4 minutes instead of 7, they cook way faster.
My neighbor makes it with Italian sausage instead of chicken. Takes it in a whole different direction but she says it’s really good.
If you’re out of cream, I’ve used milk with a tablespoon of butter stirred in. Not quite as rich but close enough.
The Leftover Situation
Keeps in the fridge for about three days in a covered container.
Reheats fine in the microwave. Add a tiny bit of water or milk before heating so the sauce doesn’t get dry and weird.
I’ve eaten it cold straight from the fridge for lunch and it’s honestly not bad. The garlic gets stronger as it sits, which I like.
Haven’t tried freezing it but pasta with cream sauce doesn’t always freeze great. The sauce can separate when you reheat it. If you’re going to try, freeze it in portions and reheat gently on the stove with extra cream.
Serving This
Usually just pile it in bowls and eat it as-is. Complete meal in one dish.
Goes well with:
- Garlic bread if you’re extra hungry
- Simple salad on the side
- More parmesan grated over the top
- Red pepper flakes if you like heat
My kids eat it plain. Adults tend to add more parmesan and black pepper. Do whatever tastes good to you.
When to Make This
Perfect for:
- Weeknights when you’re tired and need food fast
- Using up chicken breasts before they go bad
- When you’ve got random vegetables to use up
- Impressing someone without actually working that hard
- Meal prepping lunches for the week
Not great for:
- When you’re out of pasta (seems obvious but I’ve almost tried)
- Hot summer nights when you don’t want the stove on much
- People who hate garlic (wrong people to feed anyway)
Why It’s a Keeper
It’s one of those recipes that looks like you put in way more effort than you actually did. Creamy pasta with pesto and chicken sounds fancy. “I threw some stuff in a pan” is the reality.
Takes less time than ordering delivery and tastes better. Costs less too, especially if you’re feeding more than just yourself.
And it’s flexible enough that you can make it with whatever you’ve got. Out of broccoli? Use peas. No fresh garlic? Garlic powder works. Don’t have pesto? Okay, then make something else, pesto’s kind of essential to this one.
Make this next time someone shows up unexpected and hungry. They’ll think you’re a cooking wizard. You can just smile and accept the compliment while knowing it took twenty-five minutes and almost no skill.
Chicken Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 onion minced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 chicken breasts sliced into 1/2-inch strips
- 1 cup light cream or half-and-half
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup pesto store-bought or homemade
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper or to taste
- 4 cups cooked pasta penne or rigatoni work well
- 2 cups broccoli florets fresh or frozen
Instructions
- Cook pasta in large pot according to package directions until 1 minute before done (al dente). Add broccoli to pasta water 1 minute before draining. Drain both together and set aside.
- While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in large pan over medium-high heat. Add minced onion and cook 3-4 minutes until softened and golden.
- Add garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Season chicken strips with salt and pepper. Add to pan and cook 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add cream, parmesan, pesto, salt, and pepper to pan. Stir to combine and simmer 2-3 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.
- Add cooked pasta and broccoli to the sauce. Toss everything together until pasta is well coated. Simmer 2-3 minutes more.
- Remove from heat. Garnish with additional parmesan if desired and serve immediately.
Notes
- Use about 12 oz dried pasta to get 4 cups cooked
- Chicken can be substituted with shrimp (cook only 3-4 minutes)
- Can use heavy cream for richer sauce or milk with added butter for lighter version
- Add mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, or spinach for variations
- Frozen broccoli works just as well as fresh
- Leftovers keep 3 days refrigerated; add splash of milk when reheating
- Recipe easily doubles for larger groups
