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Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta is one of my favorite ways to use rotisserie or leftover cooked chicken.
This recipe was inspired by one of my husband’s favorite dishes, Rotini con Pollo, at Bistro Bella Vita in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Store bought pesto sauce and tangy cream cheese bring big flavor with a short amount of cooking time.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup pesto
3 oz plain cream cheese
1-2 tablespoon milk
8 oz rotini pasta, cooked
1 ½ - 2 cups chicken, cooked & shredded
2 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted (optional)
Parmesan cheese, grated
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.
Add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is transparent.
Stir pesto and cream cheese into onions and garlic.
Once cream cheese has melted, add chicken and pasta.
Stir to combine.
Add in milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until sauce reaches desired consistency.
Top with toasted pine nuts and Parmesan cheese before serving.
Tips on Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta
Yes! Low fat cream cheese works great in this recipe.
Speed up your cooking time and buy pesto at the store. I like the fresh pesto found in the refrigerator section of my local grocery store. You can also make the chicken ahead of time, so it's done and ready to go the night you want to make this dish.
The pine nuts can be left out, but I highly recommend adding them in as they add a great crunch and texture to the dish. You can also use toasted walnuts if you don't like pine nuts or don't have any on hand.
Cocktail Pairing
Enjoy your creamy pasta dinner with a bright and refreshing Lavender Bee's Knees cocktail.
Print the Recipe
PrintCreamy Chicken Pesto Pasta
Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta packs a lot of flavor and comes together quickly thanks to store bought pesto sauce and tangy cream cheese.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 30 min
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup pesto
- 3 oz plain cream cheese
- 1-2 tablespoon milk
- 8 oz rotini pasta, cooked
- 1 ½ - 2 cups chicken, cooked & shredded
- 2 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted (optional)
- Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.
Add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is transparent.
Stir pesto and cream cheese into onions and garlic.
Once cream cheese has melted, add chicken and pasta.
Stir to combine.
Add in milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until sauce reaches desired consistency.
Top with toasted pine nuts and Parmesan cheese before serving.
Keywords: rotini, pasta, noodles, creamy, chicken, pesto, restaurant inspired meal, dinner time, weekday dinner, 30 minute meals
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