Creamy Pesto Chicken Broccoli Pasta

Creamy pesto chicken broccoli pasta is easy to make in 30 minutes with chicken, broccoli, spinach, and pesto spinach, tossed in a cream sauce. This dish is what dreams are made of: comfort food still packed with lots of veggies. It will leave everyone wanting more! It’s just that good!

This pasta “hits the spot” every single time! It’s creamy, it’s easy to throw together when you don’t have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen and it’s packed with veggies as well. It’s mostly a one-pot dinner, except for an additional pot to cook pasta in, which is such a win when it comes to clean-up. People are going to think you spent a lot more than 30 minutes in the kitchen to make this dish and it comes out more delicious than a lot of Italian restaurants’ pasta!

• Rich and creamy: This simple Italian comfort food is love at first bite with its creamy pesto sauce
• Easy one-pot meal: Perfect for busy weeknights, and because it is a classy restaurant-style pasta, it’s great for serving guests while not compromising on the time to socialize.

• Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces (or bite-sized). Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are also an option.
• Aromatics: Chopped onion, and minced garlic for extra flavor.
• Seasoning: You’ll need salt and black pepper to taste, and your favorite seating blend (I love Montreal Steak Seasoning)
• For the cream sauce: Heavy cream, pesto, tomato paste, reserved pasta water and cheese ( parmesan and mozzarella)
• Veggies and herbs: Broccoli, fresh baby spinach, and fresh parsley for garnish. Substitutions: Zucchini mushrooms or sun-dried tomatoes would be great in this dish as well if you don’t have the suggested veggies.
• Pasta: Rigatoni, Penne, or any other pasta of choice, cooked per package instructions.

• Cook the chicken: add oil to a large skillet over medium heat and cook seasoned chicken until golden brown. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set it aside.
• Cook pasta: cook your favorite pasta according to the package instructions. While the pasta cooks, start making your sauce. Reserve some pasta water to use for the sauce later.
• Sauté aromatics:  To the same skillet you cooked the chicken in, add a bit more oil if you need to, and sauté the onions until soft and translucent. Then, add the garlic and cook for another minute. Then add the tomato paste and pesto.
• Make the sauce: Slowly whisk in the heavy cream. Don’t be afraid to deglaze the bottom of the pan. The bottom bits add extra flavor. Bring it to a simmer, then add seasonings and most of the cheese (leave some parmesan cheese to top the pasta with at the end).
• Assemble and serve: Return cooked chicken to the skillet. Add cooked pasta, spinach, and broccoli, and toss everything together in the sauce. Add some of the reserved pasta water to get the desired sauce consistency. Serve hot garnished with extra Parmesan cheese.

Notes

• If you find the sauce to be too thick, use some reserved pasta water to thin it out.
• If you like your pasta dishes a bit spicy, sprinkle in some red pepper flakes either into the sauce or on top just before serving.

Make Ahead and Storing Instructions

You can cut down cooking time by cooking the chicken ahead of time and storing it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.

You can also make the dish as a whole and store it in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days. Add a splash of cream, broth, or water to loosen the sauce when reheating.

I wouldn’t typically freeze this pasta as the texture will change upon thawing.