Pesto Pasta Bake with Chicken

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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.

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time50

Course: dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Australian

Servings:

Calories: 712kcal

Author: Andrea Geddes

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