Pesto Chicken Pasta Bake (Printable Version)

Tender chicken, basil pesto, and gooey mozzarella baked with pasta for a comforting family meal.

# Components:

→ Pasta

01 - 10.5 oz penne or rigatoni pasta

→ Chicken

02 - 2 medium chicken breasts (about 12 oz), diced

→ Pesto & Sauce

03 - 1/2 cup basil pesto, store-bought or homemade
04 - 1 1/4 cups tomato passata or marinara sauce
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Cheese

07 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
08 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ Seasoning

09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
10 - Fresh basil leaves for garnish, optional

# Directions:

01 - Set oven to 390°F and allow to reach full temperature.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced chicken, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for 5-7 minutes until cooked through and lightly golden.
04 - Add minced garlic to the skillet and cook for 1 minute. Stir in tomato passata and half of the pesto. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat.
05 - In a large mixing bowl, gently combine cooked pasta, chicken mixture, half of the mozzarella, and remaining pesto until evenly mixed.
06 - Pour pasta mixture into a lightly greased baking dish. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
07 - Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and golden and sauce is bubbling.
08 - Allow casserole to rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil and serve.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours layering flavors, but it's really just a handful of ingredients doing all the work for you.
  • The crispy, golden cheese on top gives you that restaurant-style finish without any fancy technique.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully, which means lunch is sorted before you even think about it.
  • You can throw it together on autopilot after a long day and still feel like you cooked something real.
02 -
  • Don't overcook the pasta in the boiling stage, it will finish cooking in the oven and you don't want it mushy.
  • Reserve a little pasta water before draining, if the mixture looks dry when you combine everything, a splash of that starchy water brings it back to life.
  • Let the dish rest after baking, those few minutes make it way easier to serve and the flavors settle beautifully.
03 -
  • Use a mix of fresh mozzarella and low-moisture mozzarella for the topping, the fresh stuff melts beautifully and the low-moisture browns better.
  • If your pesto is really thick, loosen it with a tablespoon of pasta water before mixing it in so it coats everything evenly.
  • Broil the dish for the last 2 minutes if you want an extra-crispy, golden cheese top.
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