You won’t believe how easy it is to turn leftover chicken into this 5-Ingredient Chicken Pesto Pasta made with simple pantry staples that is ready in about 15 minutes! A cheap healthy meal perfect for a busy weeknight dinner.
As the days get longer, many of us start to reach for simpler recipes. Who wants to spend a ton of time in the kitchen when the sun is shining? My favorite easy recipes are ones that either, 1) repurpose leftovers, or 2) are made mostly with items already in my pantry or refrigerator. Basically this 5-Ingredient Chicken Pesto Pasta is the best of the best because it does both! It’s a cheap healthy meal that’s ready in about 15 minutes.
A 15-Minute Meal perfect for one or a whole crowd!
There’s another reason this 5-Ingredient Chicken Pesto Pasta is the best. It’s the perfect lunch or quick dinner recipe if I am cooking just for myself. At the same time, you can easily feed a crowd by simply multiplying the portions! All you need to do is make your pasta of choice. Then toss it with rotisserie or leftover chicken, store-bought pesto, chopped sun dried tomatoes, and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. All in about 15 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dried pasta such as spaghetti, penne, or strozzapreti
- 1/2 cup chopped cooked chicken
- 2-3 tbsp pesto sauce
- 4-5 sun dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
- Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions in salted water.
- Drain and toss with remaining ingredients.
- Adjust amount of pesto and cheese depending on desired taste.
Notes
Home Chef Tip: Light, smooth sauces such as pesto are best served with long, thin pasta like spaghetti or twisty pastas such as fusilli or gemelli. This helps the sauce cling to the pasta when serving.
While this 5-Ingredient Chicken Pesto Pasta recipe calls for store-bought pesto for simplicity, don’t shy away from making your own. It doesn’t need to be traditional basil pesto either. I make a Spicy Spinach Pesto that adds nutrients to the dish as well as a load of flavor. You can make pesto from any number of seasonal greens like carrot tops, kale, or arugula.
We hope you enjoy this 5-Ingredient Chicken Pesto Pasta recipe from SoFabFood Home Chef, Loriann from Thyme for Cocktails, as much as we do. If you love this simple recipe and you’re short on time, be sure to visit our 30-Minute Meals Section for more like it. For daily recipe inspiration, subscribe to our newsletter, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Pinterest. Enjoy!
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