Pasta. Pesto. Cheese. Chicken. Mushrooms. Spinach. This Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake has all those yummy ingredients combined for one creamy, gooey, big bite of comfort!
And…for all you cooks out there wondering what to do with some leftover turkey you’re probably going to have later this week, here’s an alternative to turkey soup! Just replace the chicken with chunks of leftover turkey (obviously, no need to cook the turkey first so skip that step).
When I want to throw something together quickly for dinner for me and my husband, I’ll frequently saute up some cut up chicken tenders or shrimp with some mushrooms and spinach. Then toss in some of my favorite Pesto (I always have small containers of it in my freezer to use throughout the year). Last week it was really cold outside and I wanted to make a casserole (cold weather does that to me) so I came up with this recipe instead. It’s similar to a mac and cheese recipe, with added ingredients. For the cheese sauce I used a combination of parmesan and Monterey jack cheeses instead of cheddar. Then added the best part…PESTO! I just love that stuff so much. You can use store-bought, but seriously, check out my homemade version, it’s the best!
To make it “healthy” I added mushrooms and spinach like I do with my quick sauté version. I used the smaller size bag of spinach from the grocery store, but think the bigger size might have been better and add even more spinach to the mix. So if you want more spinach, add more! For the pasta I used cavatappi because it’s what I had on hand and I like the hearty shape. You could use penne or rigatoni if you want. Or heck, even elbow or shells! It doesn’t matter. Just make sure to cook it al dente so it doesn’t get mushy in the oven.
I hope you’ll check out this Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake next time you’re looking for some ooey, gooey, comfort food on some cold, dark and gloomy winter day!
- 1 lb. tube shaped pasta (I used cavatappi - could also use penne, rigatoni, etc.)
- Olive Oil
- 8 chicken tenders, sliced in strips
- salt & pepper
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 8oz. box mushrooms
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 bag spinach
- 1 C. pesto
- 3 Tbls. flour
- 3 Tbls. butter
- 3½ C milk
- 2 C. shredded cheese (I used a combination of parmesan, monterey jack - see note)
- Opt: ½ C. shredded mozzarella cheese
- Preheat oven to 350ºF
- Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain. Return to pan and toss with a bit of olive oil to keep pasta from sticking together.
- While pasta is cooking, slice chicken tenders into strips about ¼-1/2" thick. Season pieces with salt and pepper.
- In large skillet, heat a little olive oil to coat bottom of pan. Add chicken strips and sauté until no longer pink. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
- Add onions, mushrooms and garlic to pan (add a little more olive oil if needed). Saute until onions and mushrooms are tender being careful not to burn the garlic.
- Add spinach and toss to combine. Cook until wilted. Add chicken back to pan and stir to combine. Add chicken mixture to pasta and toss to combine.
- In saucepan, heat butter over medium heat until melted. Add flour. Whisk and continue to cook. about a minute. Slowly add milk, while continuing to whisk. Cook until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat and stir in 2 cups cheese and pesto.
- Add sauce to pasta/chicken mixture and toss well to combine.
- If you want extra cheesiness, layer half of pasta mixture in greased casserole dish. Sprinkle ¼ c. shredded mozzarella cheese over top. Add remaining pasta/chicken mixture. Top with remaining mozzarella. I also added a little more parmesan on top. You can omit this cheese layer if you want but why?
- Bake until heated through and lightly golden on top, about 20-25 minutes.
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Yum! I’d just substitute cauliflower sauce for the cheese and leave out the chicken. I love this kind of dish, it’s so warm and cozy. Your pictures are stunning!
Cauliflower sauce would be a delicious substitute for you vegans! Or anyone that wants a lower fat, healthier version. I might have to give that a try…thanks for the inspiration Linda!
i did this delicious pasta but I omitted the chicken because I had oven baked honey barbecue Chicken as part of my Shabbat dinner. I used shredded mozzarella cheese and shredded Parmesan and some feta cheese. The spinach, onions and mushroom combination is absolutely delicious. My family and friends totally loved it.
I’m so happy to hear you put your own spin on this dish and enjoyed it! I love the idea of feta with it!
I made this for dinner tonight. Used homemade pesto I had in the freezer and a combo of Parmesan, Gruyere and mozzarella cheese! It was fantastic and no one even mentioned the spinach! Thanks for a great recipe!
So glad to hear that Brenda! I love when readers try a recipe and enjoy it as much as I do. Thanks for letting me know!
How many does this serve?
The casserole dish I used is a 2.8 liter Corningware dish (a normal size casserole). I didn’t measure how many cups to give you an exact amount, My best guess would be 6-8, depending on how hungry you are!
What is meant by the quantity “C” – is it a cup?
Yes, C = cup
Thank you for this – it has come out very well thank from London 🙂
Thanks for sharing!!!! Man this was sooooo yummy!!! I was looking for a way to use my leftover rotisserie chicken, so I didn’t have to cook the chicken as it was already cooked, but I followed everything else and it turned out amazing! Definitely gonna keep this recipe in my rotation. 🙂
So glad to hear you enjoyed this! Rotisserie chickens sure do come in handy don’t they?!
Haha! Yes they sure do!
Do you think you could prep this in advance and then bake the night of or would it become too dry?
I’ve never tried that but I don’t see why not…if it looks a little dry you could always add a bit more liquid when heating it up. If you try it, please report back with the outcome 🙂
Can I get any nutritional or caloric info on this dish? My daughter made it and was fantastic…… I bet using some smoked Gouda cheese would be killer too. But I’m tracking my calories and portions, so I need to try and find that piece of the delish puzzle……. any help would be appreciated
I’m sure this dish is loaded with too much fat and calories, LOL. I don’t have that information handy but you could do a search on the internet for a nutrition calculator to get the information you desire. I found this link that might help: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator
Do you think I can make this the day before and then cook the next day?
You probably could but I would be a little concerned that the pasta might absorb too much while sitting and get a bit soggy. I’ve never tried it before so I couldn’t tell you for sure, but it would be similar to any other sort of pasta casserole dish.
Can this be made in the morning and baked at night the same day?
I’ve never tried that but I’m assuming it would be the same as any baked pasta dish. This seems to be a question a lot of people have so I will have to give it a try next time I make it and see how it turns out!
How many people does it serve?
The casserole dish I used is a 2.8 liter Corningware dish (a normal size casserole). I didn’t measure how many cups to give you an exact amount, My best guess would be 6-8, depending on how hungry you are!
Hmm, trawling the internet looking for a recipe to use up left over cooked chicken for tea tonight and I came across this…I have pesto in my fridge. Will pop to Asda on my way home this morning for some spinach and various cheeses…Think my son will love this meal.
I’ll send a result message later.
Hope it turned out well for you!
This was fabulous. I’d made a similar one but lost the recipe. This was perfect and the added milk/cream sauce made it better than my earlier one. I used whole wheat rotini and for the milk some skimmed evaporated canned milk as I was out of fresh. It was delicious last night and again for lunch. Thanks!
Thanks for letting me know you like it! I have to agree… it’s such a yummy dish!
I made this tonight and it was delish! I was able to make it vegan by using vegan butter and cashew milk. Instead of cheese I added nutritional yeast to taste and added a few different spices to amp the flavor (I added smoked paprika and an italian spices blend). I also used about 1/2 T of cornstarch to aid in the thickening. Since some of my family isn’t vegan, I had some of the chicken available on the side for them to add to their portion. Worked out great — will be making again!
Nice to hear you were able to modify the recipe! Glad you enjoyed it.