Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake (one pan dinner)

This chicken pesto pasta bake is made in one pan and is loaded with chicken, sun dried tomatoes, cheese, pesto and pasta. It is a comforting meal that can be enjoyed by everyone! With a few simple preparation steps and 45 minutes of baking time you can whip up this pesto pasta bake.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Course: dinner

Cuisine: Italian

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

Servings:

Calories: 625kcal

Ingredients

Homemade Pesto

2 cup fresh basil
⅔ cup pine nuts
½ cup olive oil
½ cup parm cheese
3 cloves garlic
2 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt AND pepper

Pasta Ingredients

12 oz whole wheat pasta
2 cups chicken broth
8.5 oz sun dried tomatoes in Italian herbs + 1 tablespoon of oil from the jar
1 cup mozzarella pearls
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 pound chicken breast season generously chicken with: salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and Italian seasonings. At least one teaspoon of each.

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and grease a large 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray.
Make the pesto. Add all the pesto ingredients to a food processor or a high speed blender. Pulse until smooth and it reaches a consistency of your liking. It usually takes about 30 seconds to 1 minute depending on the power or speed of your machine.
Add the pasta, pesto, chicken broth, tomatoes and mozzarella pearls to the dish. Gently combine the ingredients together and then top it with the shredded mozzarella.
Dice the chicken into small pieces and coat it with the suggested seasonings. Place the diced chicken on top of the shredded mozzarella cheese layer. Lightly push it into the cheese and pasta but still having it remain on top.
Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and enjoy.

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