Pesto Chicken Pasta

Bow tie pasta coated in a basil pesto sauce.

Pesto chicken pasta is an easy, 20 minute meal that's made with just five shelf-stable ingredients. Bow tie pasta and chicken are coated in a rich and flavorful pesto sauce with sun-dried tomatoes.

Cook Time 20

Total Time 20

Servings servings

Author Heather

Ingredients

8 ounces dry pasta
¼ cup pesto
4 ounces julienne-cut sun-dried tomatoes in oil
2 cloves garlic minced
12 ounces canned chicken drained
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente pasta. Before draining, reserve ½ cup of pasta water for a later step.
In a pot over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes, then add sun-dried tomatoes, pesto, and minced garlic. Stir and cook for about 1 minute.
Add cooked pasta, pasta water, and chicken. Toss until ingredients are evenly combined. Cook for another 1-2 minutes or until ingredients are heated through.
Remove from heat, add salt and pepper as desired, and serve.

Notes

For whole sun-dried tomatoes - Give your whole tomatoes a chop before adding to the recipe.
Canned chicken alternatives: canned tuna, freshly cooked chicken, shredded rotisserie chicken, or a can of drained and rinsed cannellini beans.
Garlic: 2 garlic cloves can be substituted with ½ teaspoon of garlic powder.
Add veggies: Add a large handful of baby spinach when adding pasta and chicken to the pot. Top with grated parmesan cheese before serving.
Storage: Leftovers will keep for 3 to 4 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. Cooked pasta doesn't freeze and thaw well, so I don't recommend freezing this recipe.

Nutrition