This easy pesto pasta bake is a comforting meal that is perfect for a crowd. Tender pasta is combined with juicy chicken, creamy pesto sauce and layers of mozzarella; baked until bubbly and golden brown. Perfect for making ahead, it’s an easy and delicious dinner to make any day of the week.
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Why you’ll love this recipe
A crusty loaf of bread, simple side salad or roast pumpkin salad goes wonderfully with this pasta bake, but it’s also filling enough to be served on its own.
- Perfect for feeding a crowd – this recipe makes 6 large serves, or 8 when served with some bread or another side.
- Easy to customise – need a gluten-free option? Prefer a different type of pasta? Want to make it vegetarian? There are so many ways to customise this pesto pasta bake to make it your own.
- Make ahead – you can make the pasta bake a day in advance and put it in the oven when you’re ready. It also freezes well, to heat and eat later.
- A great way to use leftovers – like these creamy chicken pies, creamy sausage pasta and healthy chicken tacos, you can use leftover chicken or incorporate any fresh or frozen veggies you have on hand.
Pesto pasta bake ingredients
** This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. This photo is a great guide for when you are in the supermarket, but for full ingredient quantities and methods, please scroll down to the detailed recipe card below!
- Pasta – use a small pasta shape that catches as much sauce as possible. Penne, rigatoni, farfalle and spirals are all great options, but you can use any type of pasta that you love. Gluten-free pasta and other types of pasta alternatives can be used.
- Cheese – two kinds of cheese; mozzarella and parmesan are sprinkled over the top before baking. Gruyere or pecorino Romano can be used in place of parmesan. Be sure to grate your own fresh cheese; pre-shredded cheese will clump together and the sauce won’t thicken.
- Chicken – breast or thigh can be used, or try adding some shredded roast chicken if you have some leftover. Simply add it to the pasta before baking to heat through in the oven.
- Pesto – use store-bought or homemade basil and pine nut pesto, or swap for any pesto flavour. Reserve a little pesto to drizzle over the top of the cheese before baking!
- Fresh herbs – basil and oregano add so much flavour. Where possible, I recommend using fresh herbs instead of dried. But either will work. If you are using dried herbs, a tablespoon is all you’ll need.
Recipe variations
- Change the pasta – feel free to use your favourite pasta shape like spirals, shells, tubes, etc. Wholemeal pasta, lentil pasta or gluten-free pasta can also be used.
- Instead of cooking chicken, add some leftover cooked chicken before baking, or leave it out entirely for a meat-free option.
- Add-in options – for extra flavour, try adding sun-dried tomatoes, marinated artichokes, zucchini, olives or spinach. Use any fresh or frozen vegetables that you have on-hand.
- Swap the pesto – Any type of store-bought or homemade pesto will work. I love basil and pine nut pesto, but you can swap for any flavour combination. Try one with lemon and pistachio, or sun-dried tomato pesto.
Step by step instructions
Full ingredient notes and quantities can be found in the detailed recipe card below. But here is a brief overview of what you can expect;
- Step 1: Cook the pasta in a pot of salted water, until slightly soft but still undercooked (very al dente). *Reserve ⅔ cup of the pasta water before draining. Drain and set aside.
- Step 2: While the pasta is cooking, fry the onion and garlic in olive oil with a little salt and pepper. Stir, until soft and fragrant.
- Step 3: Add the chicken pieces, and cook until browned.
- Step 4: Add the tomatoes to the pan and stir for 1-2 minutes, to soften.
- Step 5: Add the drained pasta, pesto, cream, basil, oregano and reserved pasta water into the pan, until everything is combined.
- Step 6: Transfer to a large baking dish.
- Step 7: Top the pasta with the combined grated cheeses.
- Step 8: Drizzle a little remaining pesto over the top of the bake and sprinkle the pine nuts over the top evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and the cheese is golden, melted and bubbly.
Leave the pasta bake to sit on the bench for around 5 minutes for the sauce to thicken, before serving hot.
Helpful tips
- This recipe makes 6 large serves, or 8 smaller serves with a side salad or crusty bread.
- Salt the pasta water – salted water adds flavour directly to the pasta, which seasons the whole pasta bake.
- Cook the pasta to al dente – the pasta will continue to cook in the oven, so it’s important to remove it from the water as soon as it is al dente (tender, but with a firm bite). Check the packet instructions and cook for 1-2 minutes less than the suggested time. This will ensure the pasta will hold its shape after baking.
- Make ahead – if making the pasta bake ahead of time, be sure to cook the chicken through entirely before assembling (or use leftover cooked chicken). Don’t store the bake in the fridge with partially cooked chicken. For an easy weeknight dinner, make everything the night before, assemble the pasta bake and cover with foil. Store in the fridge overnight. When you’re ready to eat, bake as normal.
- Grate your own cheese – pre-shredded cheese can seem like a convenient option, but the strands won’t melt properly and will clump together, preventing the sauce from thickening.
Pasta bake FAQs
Do you need to boil the pasta before baking?
The pasta should be partially cooked in boiling water before being added to the oven, where it will finish cooking. Read the packet instructions and boil the pasta for 1-2 minutes less than the suggested time, to ensure it remains al dente.
What type of pasta is best for pasta bake?
Use your favourite shape of short pasta. Rigatoni, spirals, shells or farfalle are great for soaking up the sauce.
How to store leftover pasta bake;
Allow leftover pasta to cool to room temperature, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat until piping hot before serving.
How to reheat pasta bake?
Microwave individual portions until heated through. To reheat large portions, cover with foil and bake in the oven at 150C until piping hot in the middle.
Can I freeze pasta bake?
Leftover pasta bake can be frozen in freezer-safe, airtight containers for up to 3 months.
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Pesto Pasta Bake with Chicken
This easy pesto pasta bake is a hearty, comforting meal perfect for a crowd. Tender pasta is combined with juicy chicken, creamy pesto sauce and layers of mozzarella and baked until bubbly and golden brown. Perfect for making ahead, it’s an easy and delicious dinner to make any day of the week.
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Servings: 8
Calories: 712kcal
Equipment
- 1 large frying pan
- 1 oven-safe baking dish 20 x 30cm
Ingredients
- 500 grams dry pasta – spirals, penne, or small pasta of choice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium brown onion – sliced
- 4 cloves garlic – crushed
- ½ teaspoon salt – or to taste. Plus extra salt for the pasta water.
- black pepper – to taste
- 500 grams chicken breast – cut into chunks (2-3cm). Or swap for chicken thigh. If you have leftover, already cooked chicken, you can add this at the end.
- 300 grams cherry tomatoes
- 230 grams basil and pine nut pesto – or other pesto of choice. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the pesto for the top of the pasta bake.
- ⅓ cup thickened cream – or cooking cream
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- ¼ cup fresh oregano leaves
- 120 grams fresh parmesan cheese – or Gruyere, grated
- 350 grams fresh mozzarella – grated
- ¼ cup pine nuts
Plus
- ⅔ cup reserved pasta water – reserve some of the salted pasta water before draining the pasta.
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C/356 F.
- Bring a pot of water to the boil and add salt (1 teaspoon of salt for every 4-5 litres of water).
- Check the cooking times on your pasta packet. Add the dry pasta to the boiling water and cook the pasta for 1-2 minutes less than the specified cooking instructions, until slightly soft but still undercooked (very al dente). Reserve ⅔ cup of the pasta water before draining. Drain the pasta and set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion and garlic, salt and pepper and stir, until soft and fragrant (2-3 minutes).
- Add the chicken and turn the heat up to high. Cook, stirring, until mostly browned. It’s ok if the chicken is not cooked all the way through at this stage, as it will continue to cook in the oven*. * unless you are assembling and storing the pasta in the fridge to bake later. In this case, make sure the chicken is completely cooked through!
- Add the tomatoes to the pan and stir for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the drained pasta, pesto (reserve 2 tablespoons of pesto to add to the top of the pasta bake), cream, basil and oregano and reserved pasta water to the chicken and tomato mixture and stir until everything is combined.*This step can be done in your pan if it is large enough, or in your baking dish if easier.
- Transfer the pasta mixture to the baking dish and top with the grated cheeses.
- Drizzle the remaining pesto over the top of the grated cheese and sprinkle the pine nuts evenly over the top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and the cheese is golden, melted and bubbly. If required, turn on the grill for the last 2-3 minutes to brown the top.
- Remove the dish from the oven and leave the pasta bake to sit on the bench for around 5 minutes for the sauce to thicken. Serve hot.
Notes
- This recipe makes 6 large serves, or 8 smaller serves with a side salad or crusty bread.
- Salt the pasta water – salted water adds flavour directly to the pasta, which seasons the whole pasta bake.
- Chicken – breast or thigh can be used, or try adding some shredded leftover chicken if you have any. Simply add it to the pasta before baking to heat through in the oven.
- Cook the pasta to al dente – the pasta will continue to cook in the oven, so it’s important to remove it from the water as soon as it is slightly undercooked (tender, but with a firm bite). Check the packet instructions and cook for 1-2 minutes less than the suggested time. This will ensure the pasta retains its shape after baking.
- Make ahead –if making the pasta bake ahead, be sure to cook the chicken through entirely before assembling. (Don’t store the bake in the fridge with partially cooked chicken). For an easy weeknight dinner, make everything the night before, assemble the pasta bake and cover with foil. Store in the fridge overnight. When you’re ready to eat, bake as normal.
- Grate your own cheese – pre-shredded cheese can seem like a convenient option, but the strands won’t melt properly and will clump together, preventing the sauce from thickening.
- Please note that the nutrition information is based on the pasta bake being divided into 8 bowls, with one bowl being one serve. The nutritional information is an estimate only and does not take into account any additional toppings or sides served with the pasta.
- This recipe is made using Australian metric cups and spoon measurements. Any reference to cups or spoons in this recipe is in Australian metric. Due to cup sizes varying from country to country, I advise adjusting if necessary.
Nutrition
Calories: 712kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 1015mg | Potassium: 588mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1481IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 509mg | Iron: 3mg
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