Baked Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta
A delicious baked pasta dish featuring tender chicken, fresh spinach, and a creamy pesto sauce, topped with melted mozzarella for a comforting meal.
Ingredients
Pasta
- 12 oz pasta of your choice tube-shaped pastas like rigatoni, mezzi rigatoni, or tortiglioni
Chicken
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes
Seasonings
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt (divided)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Oil
- 1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Shallots
- ¾ cup minced shallots
Garlic
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
Red Pepper Flakes
- Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Tomatoes
- 1 cup cup jarred roasted tomatoes thinly sliced or ½ cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes
Spinach
- 2 to 3 handfuls handfuls fresh baby spinach
Pesto
- ½ cup pesto
Heavy Cream
- ½ cup heavy cream
Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese divided
Mozzarella Cheese
- 3 to 4 oz fresh mozzarella cheese torn into pieces
Basil
- Chopped fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
- Cook pasta in salted water until just before al dente; reserve 1 cup of water.
- Toss chicken with oil, seasonings, and salt; sauté until cooked, then set aside.
- Sauté shallots, add garlic and red pepper flakes; cook until fragrant.
- Add tomatoes and spinach; cook until spinach wilts. Stir in pesto, cream, pasta, and some pasta water; cook until thickened.
- Mix in cheese and chicken, top with mozzarella and remaining cheese; broil until melted and browned. Garnish with basil and serve.
Notes
Use fresh mozzarella for best melting results. Adjust pasta water for desired sauce consistency.