Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta Bake is the kind of recipe that looks like you put in a lot more effort than you actually did, which is exactly what a weeknight dinner should be. Tender pasta, juicy chicken, a rich pesto cream sauce, and a golden, bubbly cheese top all come together in one baking dish with about 15 minutes of hands-on work. It comes out of the oven looking like something you would order at a restaurant.
Baked pasta has always been comfort food in my house. Growing up in the Midwest, a bubbling casserole dish coming out of the oven meant warmth, and the whole family gravitating to the kitchen table without being asked. I made my first pesto pasta bake on a rainy Thursday when I had a jar of pesto, leftover chicken, and a block of mozzarella sitting in the fridge. I was not expecting much. What came out of that 9×13 dish smelled like an Italian kitchen, all fresh basil and melted cheese, and it disappeared before I had even set out bread. This Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta Bake has been in my regular rotation ever since. Your kitchen is about to smell incredible.
Why Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta Bake Belongs in Your Recipe Box
Baked pasta recipes earn their place in a home cook’s rotation by being reliable, crowd-pleasing, and easy to adapt. This creamy pesto chicken pasta bake checks every one of those boxes, and the combination of pesto with a cream sauce is something I have returned to again and again because it works consistently.
Here is what makes this recipe worth keeping:
- Rich, layered flavor with minimal effort — The pesto does most of the flavor work for you. Combined with cream and chicken broth, it creates a sauce that tastes far more complex than a handful of ingredients should produce.
- 35 grams of protein per serving — Between the chicken breast and the double-cheese topping, every portion delivers a genuinely satisfying protein hit.
- One baking dish, easy cleanup — Mix everything in a bowl, pour it into the dish, and bake. There is very little to clean up when dinner is done.
- Ready in about 45 minutes — Including pasta cook time, this creamy pesto chicken pasta bake is on the table in under an hour without any rushing.
- Freezer-friendly — This bake freezes well for up to 3 months, making it one of the most practical meal prep recipes in my kitchen.
- Endlessly customizable — Add spinach, swap in fusilli or rigatoni, top with breadcrumbs for crunch, or use rotisserie chicken for even faster prep.
Ingredient Spotlight
Every ingredient in this creamy pesto chicken pasta bake earns its place. Here is what you need to know before you start.
Cooked chicken breast is the protein base of this dish. I always cube it into bite-sized pieces for even distribution throughout the bake. Rotisserie chicken works particularly well here and saves significant prep time on busy nights.
Penne or fusilli pasta holds the cream sauce in its ridges and tubes, which gives every bite a satisfying coating of flavor. I always pull the pasta just before it reaches fully cooked, since it continues cooking in the oven and you want it to stay al dente in the final dish.
Basil pesto is the flavor engine of this recipe. Store-bought works well when you are in a hurry, but homemade pesto takes the dish to a noticeably higher level if you have the ingredients on hand. I always choose a pesto with good olive oil as the base rather than anything that lists water near the top of the ingredients.
Heavy cream creates the rich, velvety texture that makes this sauce feel indulgent. I have tried this with half-and-half and it works, but the sauce is noticeably thinner. If you want the full creamy pesto chicken pasta bake experience, heavy cream is the right call.
Chicken broth thins the sauce just enough to coat all the pasta evenly and keeps it from drying out during baking. I always use low-sodium broth here so the seasoning stays in my control.
Shredded mozzarella melts into a stretchy, golden top that ties the whole bake together visually and in texture. I always shred it fresh from a block for the best melt and flavor compared to pre-shredded bags.
Grated parmesan adds a salty, nutty layer on top of the mozzarella that crisps slightly at the edges of the dish. That combination of melted mozzarella and lightly crisped parmesan is what makes the top of this bake look so good when it comes out of the oven.
How to Make Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta Bake
This recipe comes together in a few straightforward stages. Here is the method I use every time.
Step 1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with olive oil or cooking spray and set it aside.
Step 2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until just shy of al dente, about 1 to 2 minutes less than the package directions. I have learned that undercooking the pasta slightly at this stage is one of the most important steps — it prevents the pasta from becoming mushy after its time in the oven.
Step 3. While the pasta cooks, cube the cooked chicken breast into bite-sized pieces. Drain the pasta and transfer it to a large mixing bowl.
Step 4. Add the cubed chicken, pesto, heavy cream, and chicken broth to the bowl with the pasta. Stir well until everything is evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 5. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer. The key I discovered is making sure the chicken pieces are distributed throughout rather than clumped in one area.
Step 6. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella evenly over the top, then follow with the grated parmesan. The parmesan goes on last because it browns faster and creates a nice crust over the softer mozzarella layer.
Step 7. Bake this creamy pesto chicken pasta bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and the edges are lightly golden. I start checking at 20 minutes because oven temperatures vary.
Step 8. Remove from the oven and let the dish rest for 5 minutes before serving. This short rest allows the sauce to thicken slightly so the portions hold their shape when served.
Leftover Magic
This bake is one of the best recipes to double because the leftovers are almost better than the first serving once the flavors have had time to settle overnight.
For refrigerator storage, let the bake cool completely before covering the dish tightly or transferring portions to individual airtight containers. I typically store leftovers for up to 4 days. The sauce thickens considerably in the fridge, which I actually enjoy — it has a denser, more concentrated flavor the next day.
For freezing, this creamy pesto chicken pasta bake freezes well for up to 3 months. I portion it into individual freezer-safe containers before freezing rather than freezing the whole dish at once. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating for the best texture. The mozzarella may release a small amount of water after thawing, but a few minutes in the oven tightens that back up.
For reheating, the oven is my preferred method. Cover the dish or container loosely with foil and reheat at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes until warmed through, then uncover for the last 5 minutes to re-crisp the cheese. The microwave works well for individual portions at 2 to 3 minutes on medium power, adding a small splash of chicken broth before heating to keep the pasta from drying out.
Building the Perfect Plate
This bake is a complete meal on its own, but the right accompaniment makes it feel like a proper dinner spread. Here are my favorite pairings:
- Perfect Parmesan Garlic Bread — A must alongside any baked pasta dish. Crusty garlic bread is ideal for scooping up the creamy pesto sauce from the baking dish.
- Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta Recipe — If you love creamy chicken pasta dishes, this bright lemony variation is the natural companion recipe to have in your rotation.
- Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells Recipe — Another baked chicken-and-pasta combination that belongs in the same weekly rotation as this pesto bake.
- Creamy Rotisserie Chicken Broccoli Pasta Recipe — A quick, rotisserie chicken pasta variation that uses a similar creamy base and is great for nights when you want something even faster.
- Crispy Garlic Parmesan Brussels Sprouts — The savory crunch of these sprouts provides a great textural contrast to the soft, creamy pasta bake.
- Apple Walnut Cranberry Salad with Homemade Maple Dressing — A fresh, slightly sweet salad that cuts through the richness of the cream sauce and balances the plate.
FAQs
Yes, and it works well. I recommend choosing a store-bought pesto with olive oil listed as the first ingredient rather than water or sunflower oil, which produces a noticeably richer result in the finished dish.
The most common cause is overcooking the pasta before it goes into the oven, or baking too long. Pull the pasta 1 to 2 minutes early and check the bake at the 20-minute mark. A splash of extra chicken broth stirred in before baking also helps if the mixture looks dry before it goes into the dish.
Yes. Assemble the bake fully, cover the dish tightly, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking. Add 5 extra minutes to the bake time if going straight from the fridge to the oven.
Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta Bake
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with olive oil or cooking spray.
- Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until just shy of al dente, about 1 to 2 minutes less than package directions. Drain and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the cubed cooked chicken, pesto, heavy cream, and chicken broth to the bowl with the pasta. Stir well until everything is evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer, distributing the chicken pieces throughout.
- Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella evenly over the top, then follow with the grated parmesan.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and lightly golden at the edges. Start checking at 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving to allow the sauce to thicken slightly.
