Pesto Chicken Pasta Bake

Creamy, cheesy, and packed with flavor, this Pesto Chicken Pasta Bake is a simple dinner that feels special. Tender pasta tossed with juicy chicken, vibrant pesto, and melty provolone cheese—all baked to golden perfection. It’s the kind of meal everyone at the table will love.

Serve with Cheesy Garlic Bread and Tossed Green Salad for a perfect meal.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Simple Ingredients: Made with pantry and fridge staples.
Big Flavor: Pesto and provolone bring fresh, rich, herby goodness to every bite.
Family Favorite: Easy to prep ahead and perfect for weeknights.

What You Need for Pesto Provolone Chicken Pasta Bake

1/2 pound pasta (bowtie, penne, rotini, or rigatoni work great)
2 lbs chicken thighs, trimmed and cubed
8.1 ounce jar (or 1 cup) prepared basil pesto
1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half or milk
2 cups cheese, mix of provolone and parmesan, divided
Fresh basil or parsley, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat Oven
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
Cook the Chicken
In a large oven safe skillet, over medium high heat, add 2 Tablespoon prepared basil pesto oil (from the top of the basil pesto), and once it is hot, add cubed chicken. Cook until chicken is cooked through, and browning. Remove from heat, set aside.
Cook the Pasta
Meanwhile, as chicken cooks, cook your pasta by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Make the Sauce
Directly in the skillet with the chicken, combine pesto, heavy cream, and 1 cup shredded cheese. Stir until smooth and creamy.
Combine Chicken and Pasta
Stir the cooked pasta into the skillet with the pesto sauce mixture.
Prepare Bake
Top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.
Bake
Bake uncovered for 20–25 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and slightly golden on top.
Serve
Garnish with fresh basil or parsley and serve warm.

Tips for Success

Want extra creaminess? Stir in a spoonful of cream cheese or ricotta before baking.
Add veggies: Roasted tomatoes, spinach, or zucchini blend beautifully with the pesto.
Prep ahead: Assemble the dish up to a day in advance, cover, and refrigerate. Bake when ready to serve.

This Pesto Chicken Pasta Bake delivers the perfect mix of creamy, cheesy, and herby flavors in one easy-to-make dish. Perfect for busy nights, potlucks, or whenever you want something comforting with a fresh twist.

Other Great Recipes

Pesto Provolone Chicken Pasta Bake

This Pesto Chicken Pasta Bake is a cheesy, flavorful dinner made with tender chicken, creamy pesto sauce, and melty provolone, baked to golden perfection for an easy weeknight meal everyone will love.

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Pasta

Keyword: pasta bake, pesto chicken, pesto chicken pasta bake

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 35

Total Time: 45

Servings:

Calories: 826kcal

Author: Rachael

Equipment

1 Oven Safe Skillet

Ingredients

1/2 pound pasta penne, rotini, or rigatoni work great
2 lbs chicken thighs trimmed and cubed
8.1 ounces prepared basil pesto or 1 cup
1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
2 cups cheese mix of provolone, moxxarella and parmesan, divided
Fresh basil or parsley for garnish

Instructions

Preheat Oven

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

Cook the Chicken

In a large oven safe skillet, over medium high heat, add 2 Tablespoon prepared basil pesto oil (from the top of the basil pesto), and once it is hot, add cubed chicken. Cook until chicken is cooked through, and browning.

Cook the Pasta

Meanwhile, as chicken cooks, cook your pasta by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Make the Sauce

Once the chicken is cooked through, you want to make your sauce, directly in the skillet with the chicken. Add pesto, heavy cream, and 1 cup shredded cheese. Stir until smooth and creamy

Combine Chicken and Pasta

Stir the cooked pasta into the skillet with the pesto sauce mixture and chicken.

Top

Top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.

Bake

Put skillet in preheated oven and bake uncovered for 20–25 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and slightly golden on top.

Serve

Garnish with fresh basil or parsley and serve warm.

Nutrition

Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.

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Pesto Chicken Pasta Bake