Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta

Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta is an easy 30-minute dinner loaded with juicy chicken and tender asparagus. Add either a homemade pesto or your favorite store-bought pesto sauce to brighten and lighten up the flavors of the Alfredo sauce.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 8 people

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken breasts, trimmed

• 1 tsp salt, divided

• ¼ tsp black pepper

• 1 lb asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 2" pieces

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream

• 4 Tbsp pesto sauce

• 4 Tbsp olive oil

• 12 oz fettuccine pasta (or linguine)
  

  Instructions

  1. Cook the pasta. In a large pot of salted boiling water*, cook the pasta according to package instructions to your desired doneness. While the pasta is cooking, proceed with the recipe, then add the drained cooked pasta to the sauce in step 5.

  2. Cook the chicken. Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise and season all sides with ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper. Heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat with 2 Tbsp olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken in a single layer and sauté until fully cooked through (about 3 minutes per side). Remove from the pan and rest for 5 minutes, then slice into bite-sized strips.

  3. Sauté the asparagus. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil to the same pan along with the asparagus pieces. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 2–3 minutes, or until crisp-tender.

  4. Make the sauce. Add 2 cups heavy whipping cream and bring to a simmer; cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 4 Tbsp pesto, then add the chicken breasts and cook for 2 minutes. Season the sauce with ½ tsp salt, or to taste.

  5. Combine and serve. Add the cooked pasta, stirring to coat the noodles in sauce. Remove from heat and serve right away. Garnish with basil or parsley if desired.
     

     Notes

     *Salt should be added to the pasta cooking water so that the water tastes like ocean water before adding the pasta. This will season the pasta from the inside out. Plan on 1½ Tbsp fine sea salt per 6 quarts of water, or 2 Tbsp Morton kosher salt, or ¼ cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
     

     Nutrition Per Serving

     • Calories: 535 kcal

     • Carbs: 34g

     • Protein: 20g

     • Fat: 35g