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.
Servings: 6
Calories: 826kcal
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
Calories: 826kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 57g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 203mg | Sodium: 747mg | Potassium: 476mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1410IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 391mg | Iron: 2mg