Creamy One-Pot Pesto Chicken Pasta

This creamy pesto chicken pasta comes together in one pot in 25 minutes — and yes, you cook the pasta right in the sauce. No boiling a separate pot of water, no draining, no extra dishes. Just throw everything in, stir occasionally, and end up with the creamiest, most flavorful pasta you’ve ever made at home.

The secret is cooking the penne directly in a mixture of chicken broth and cream. The starch from the pasta thickens the sauce as it cooks, creating this incredibly silky, glossy coating that clings to every piece. Add pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and tender chicken, and you’ve got a dinner that tastes like it came from a trattoria in Rome.

Why This Creamy One-Pot Pesto Chicken Pasta Is a Must-Try

• True one-pot meal — pasta cooks right in the sauce, so you only dirty a single pot
• 25 minutes start to finish — faster than boiling water and making a separate sauce
• Rich and creamy without heavy cream — the pasta starch creates a naturally silky sauce
• Restaurant-quality flavor — pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and Parmesan make this taste gourmet
• No draining required — the pasta absorbs the liquid as it cooks, which also concentrates the flavor
• Endlessly customizable — works with any short pasta shape and whatever protein you have

Ingredients You’ll Need for Creamy One-Pot Pesto Chicken Pasta

Pesto choice: A good jarred pesto works perfectly here — look for one with basil, Parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, and olive oil in the ingredients. Homemade pesto is even better if you have it. Avoid the shelf-stable pesto in squeeze tubes — the flavor is noticeably weaker.

Pasta shape: Penne is ideal because the tubes trap the creamy sauce inside. Rigatoni, fusilli, and farfalle also work great. Avoid long pasta like spaghetti — it doesn’t absorb the sauce the same way in a one-pot method.

Sarah Mitchell

Creamy One-Pot Pesto Chicken Pasta

This creamy pesto chicken pasta comes together in one pot in 25 minutes — and yes, you cook the pasta right in the sauce. No boiling a separate pot of water, no draining, no extra dishes.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Calories: 580

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, diced into 1-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 12 ounces penne pasta (uncooked)
• 1/3 cup basil pesto (store-bought or homemade)
• 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Garnish

• Fresh basil leaves
• Extra Parmesan cheese

Equipment

• Large deep pot or Dutch oven (5-quart or larger)
• Wooden spoon
• Cutting board and knife
• Measuring cups and spoons

Method

 

1. Heat olive oil in a large deep pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. Season diced chicken with salt and pepper. Sear for 3-4 minutes until golden on all sides. Remove and set aside.
3. Add minced garlic to the same pot and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. Pour in chicken broth and heavy cream. Bring to a boil while scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
5. Add uncooked penne pasta, stir well, and reduce heat to medium. Cover with a lid slightly ajar.
6. Cook for 12-14 minutes, stirring every 3-4 minutes to prevent sticking, until pasta is al dente and sauce has thickened.
7. Stir in pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and cooked chicken. Cook for 2 more minutes until heated through.
8. Remove from heat, stir in grated Parmesan, and garnish with fresh basil and extra Parmesan.

Notes

Stir every 3-4 minutes to prevent pasta from sticking to the bottom. If the sauce gets too thick before the pasta is done, add a splash of broth. The sauce will thicken more as it cools, so pull it off the heat when it's slightly thinner than you want.

Storage and Freezing Tips

Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Add a splash of cream or broth when reheating as the pasta absorbs sauce in the fridge.

Freezer: Not recommended. Cream-based pasta sauces tend to separate and become grainy when frozen and reheated. Make it fresh for the best results.

Reheating: Stovetop is best — add 2-3 tablespoons of cream or broth, heat over medium while stirring until warmed through and creamy again.

Tasty Variations to Try

• Shrimp pesto pasta — swap chicken for large shrimp, searing them for just 2 minutes per side
• Vegetarian version — skip the chicken, use vegetable broth, and add sautéed mushrooms and spinach
• Spicy pesto pasta — add 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes and a tablespoon of calabrian chili paste
• Sausage pesto pasta — use crumbled Italian sausage instead of chicken for a richer, more robust flavor
• Lighter version — use half-and-half instead of heavy cream and reduce Parmesan to 1/4 cup
• Pesto alfredo — add an extra 1/4 cup of Parmesan and a tablespoon of butter for an ultra-rich alfredo-pesto hybrid
• Caprese pesto pasta — stir in halved cherry tomatoes and fresh mozzarella at the end

Expert Tips for Perfect Creamy One-Pot Pesto Chicken Pasta

• Sear the chicken hot and fast — don’t move it for 2 minutes per side to get that golden crust that adds flavor to the whole dish
• Stir every 3-4 minutes — one-pot pasta sticks if you forget about it, but don’t stir constantly or the starch won’t thicken the sauce
• Watch the liquid level — if the pasta isn’t done but the liquid is gone, add 1/4 cup broth at a time until it finishes cooking
• Add pesto off the heat — stirring pesto into boiling liquid dulls its bright green color and fresh flavor
• Let it rest 3 minutes — the sauce continues to thicken as it sits, reaching the perfect creamy consistency

What to Serve With Creamy One-Pot Pesto Chicken Pasta

• Crusty garlic bread — absolutely essential for scooping up every last bit of that creamy pesto sauce
• Simple arugula salad — the peppery greens with lemon vinaigrette balance the richness perfectly
• Roasted cherry tomatoes — burst them in the oven with olive oil and balsamic for a quick side
• Steamed broccoli — keeps it simple and adds a green vegetable to the plate
• Italian white wine — a chilled Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc cuts through the cream beautifully
• Caesar salad — the Parmesan theme carries through for a cohesive Italian-inspired meal

Looking for more recipe ideas? Check out these favorites:

• Easy One-Pot Creamy Garlic Tuscan Chicken
• Simple Homemade Meatballs in Marinara
• Easy Caprese Stuffed Chicken Breast

Make-Ahead Options

Dice the chicken and chop the sun-dried tomatoes the night before — store separately in the fridge. You can also measure out all the dry spices and the pasta into a bowl so everything is ready to go when you start cooking.

This pasta is best made fresh and served immediately. The one-pot method means it’s already so fast that make-ahead isn’t really necessary — 25 minutes from fridge to fork.

Frequently Asked Questions