Three cheers for a creamy pesto pasta that requires very little cooking!
Once the pasta cooks, the remaining ingredients get tossed in a large bowl.
Add a little reserved pasta cooking liquid to help create a sauce, then mix in mascarpone cheese and homemade arugula pesto to make this next level creamy!
For more weeknight dinner inspiration, be sure to check out our collection of easy pasta recipes, including Trenette al Pesto and our quick and easy Pesto gnocchi.
What you’ll get with this recipe:
- vibrant, fresh flavor from pesto sauce. This is our arugula pesto, but it would also be fantastic with Walnut Pesto, Ramp Pesto, Pistachio Pesto, or Garlic Scape Pesto.
- an easy weeknight dinner — we use store bought rotisserie chicken to keep the prep time down!
- a creamy texture from mascarpone cheese and bocconcini!
- sweetness from roasted tomatoes
- a peppery bite from fresh baby arugula
Ingredients For Chicken Pesto Pasta
- Spaghetti
- Rotisserie chicken
- Pesto sauce, store bought or homemade
- Roasted cherry or grape tomatoes
- Mascarpone cheese
- Bocconcini — These are those little mozzarella balls! You can substitute with fresh mozzarella that’s been torn or ripped into bite-size pieces!
- Arugula
- Kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
Homemade Pesto Sauce
This is our go-to pesto recipe! We use arugula in addition to basil to give the sauce a peppery bite that we are just crazy about.
A typical pesto sauce should not be heated, as it can ruin that vibrant, raw flavor of the basil (or arugula). Which is why the canned stuff from the store is never as good as homemade.
You can of course substitute with your favorite homemade or store-bought basil pesto, but if you’ve got the time and ingredients try making it at home!
Type Of Pasta To Use
The shape of pasta you use in any given recipe should be determined by the sauce.
For pesto, we recommend either a long, skinny pasta such as spaghetti or linguine, OR a twist shape pasta, such as fussili or gemelli.
Want to make your own pasta at home? This pasta dough recipe is stellar, and we love using our Kitchen Aid pasta attachment.
How to Make Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta
- Preheat oven to 375F. Place tomatoes cut side up on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp olive oil and kosher salt. Cook for 30-35 minutes, rotating the pan once halfway through cook time, until blistered and juicy.
- Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking liquid, then drain and transfer pasta to a large bowl. Toss with 2 Tbsp unsalted butter or 2 Tbsp olive oil to help ensure pasta doesn’t stick. (You can skip this step if you don’t want to add more butter / oil!)
- Add cooked tomatoes, rotisserie chicken, pesto, mascarpone cheese, lemon zest, and ½ cup reserved cooking water, then toss to combine. Mascarpone should be completely melted. If you want more of a sauce, add more pasta water, about 2 Tbsp at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
- Add bocconcini or ripped mozzarella and fresh arugula, then toss once more. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
- Divide chicken pesto pasta into bowls, then top generously cracked black pepper. Serve immediately (room temp is okay too!).
It’s okay to go heavy on the pepper!!
Side note: tossing rotisserie chicken with pesto is an instant way to make a quick, healthy dinner that feels a little extra special. Pesto chicken is a favorite in our house!
Tips To Reheat Pasta
Who else agrees that pasta is often better the next day? Especially when it involves a beautiful sauce. Gives the flavors time to meld together, ya know?
To reheat chicken pesto pasta: place pasta in a large sauce pan. Add a generous splash of water (a few tablespoons), then reheat over medium-low until simmering. Add more water as needed, tossing the pasta as needed, until fully heated through, about 3-5 minutes.
Alternatively, you can heat pasta with a few tablespoons of water in a microwave for 2-3 minutes on high.
Lover of all things pesto? You’ll definitely want to check out our pesto bread! It’s a savory, braided loaf that is light, chewy, and makes one hell of a grilled cheese!
If you make this Chicken Pesto Pasta recipe, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
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For more pasta recipes, check out the following:
- Braised beef pappardelle
- Lamb and mint ragu
- Pasta with pancetta, peas, and mint
- Spaghetti alle vongole
- Linguine with chorizo, butternut squash, and sage
- Scallop pasta with corn
Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta (with Rotisserie Chicken!)
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ pint cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 lb spaghetti
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter or extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup rotisserie chicken pulled or shredded
- ½ cup arugula pesto or basil pesto, plus more for serving
- ½ cup mascarpone cheese room temperature
- 1 lemon zested
- ½ cup bocconcini or fresh mozzarella torn into bite size pieces
- 1 cup baby arugula
- ½ tsp flaky sea salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Roast the tomatoes. Preheat oven to 375F. Place tomatoes cut side up on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp olive oil and ½ tsp Kosher salt. Cook for 30-35 minutes, rotating the pan once halfway through cook time, until blistered and juicy.
- Cook the pasta. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook according to package directions for al dente, about 7 minutes. Before draining reserve about 1 cup pasta cooking liquid in a measuring cup. Drain pasta. Toss pasta with 2 Tbsp unsalted butter or 2 Tbsp olive oil to ensure it doesn't stick. Transfer to a large mixing bowl or back into the pot it was cooking in.
- Toss remaining ingredients. Add cooked tomatoes, rotisserie chicken, ½ cup pesto, ½ cup mascarpone cheese, lemon zest, and ½ cup reserved cooking water, then toss to combine. Mascarpone should be completely melted. If you want more of a sauce, add more pasta water, about 2 Tbsp at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
- Finish, then serve. Add bocconcini or ripped mozzarella and fresh arugula, then toss once more. Sprinkled with flaky sea salt and lots of freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.
Notes
- To reheat chicken pesto pasta: place pasta in a large sauce pan. Add a generous splash of water (a few tablespoons), then reheat over medium-low until simmering. Add more water as needed, tossing the pasta as needed, until fully heated through, about 3-5 minutes.
- Alternatively, you can heat pasta with a few tablespoons of water in a microwave for 2-3 minutes on high.
Let us know your thoughts!