With a base of a creamy pesto cheese sauce, your favorite short cut pasta, and a crispy cheesy top: this Healthier Cheesy Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake is an all time favorite comfort food!
Jump to RecipePesto pasta has always been a staple in my house. In particular, I’m talking about a chicken pesto pasta made from a packet of powdered pesto and rotisserie chicken. While the powdered pesto may not sound so glamorous, and the rotisserie chicken may seem like the easy way out, my sister and I would literally shriek in excitement whenever my mom made this. It may have been simple, but it was the food I grew up on — and nothing beats that. Hence, now that I’m a bit older, I knew I had to recreate these classic flavors of my childhood… just with a bit of a creamier and more over-the-top approach. I can’t help it, I love making some of my fav foods a bit more extra:) So, in this Healthier Cheesy Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake, I started with a creamy cheesy pesto sauce, juicy shredded chicken, freshly roasted tomatoes, and a crispy cheese topping. And, let me tell you, it’s damn delicious.
the breakdown…
This Healthier Cheesy Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake starts off by what, in my opinion, is really the only part of this dish that makes it “healthier.” While your traditional baked mac and cheese or pasta starts with melted butter, a ton of flour, and heavy cream, I use pesto as my choice of fat. Pesto is made up of olive oil, nuts, cheese, and herbs. This may seem vastly different than butter, but, when placed in the scenario to make a roux of sorts, it acts the exact same way! But, you definitely have to make sure your pesto is in liquid form — think melted butter consistency!
Heat up those healthy fats from the pesto, and then go in with just a little bit of flour. I like all purpose flour for creating a roux, but you could also use cassava or coconut flour. I would not recommend almond flour for this. By mixing in your flour, you build a hearty base for a cheese type of sauce, without having to go crazy with the thickeners. Plus, by making a roux out of pesto and flour, you get a sauce that I would say is much more flavorful than your classic butter based variety.
let’s talk pesto...
That being said, I’m not sure what type of pesto you’re working with. I always like to make homemade pesto. It’s so freaking easy, and much more flavorful than any store bought variety. Still, maybe it’s just one of those days when you need an easy, quick meal. In that case, I love this store bought pesto. In any case, I don’t know how flavorful your pesto is. Thus, in this Healthier Cheesy Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake recipe, throw in a bit more flavor in the name of fresh garlic, onion powder, red pepper flakes (as desired), salt, and pepper. So, in the end, the base of your sauce will be packed with flavor!!
With those good flavors, go ahead and mix in the cheese. I like to think of this recipe as a mac and cheese of sorts… so, I mean, bring on the cheese!! Two cups mozzarella and one cup parmesan makes for the perfect mild, yet flavorful sauce. Don’t skimp on the cheese… just don’t.
Get everything mixed up and evenly dispersed and it’s time to throw in the milk! Milk is the best base for any cheese sauce to keep things creamy. Still, I use almond milk in this recipe to keep things on the lighter side. Really, the name of the game is to use whatever you love — or really whatever you have in your fridge. To me, that’s almond milk, but that could literally range anywhere from skim milk to heavy cream. Go with what you love! Oh, and don’t worry if this seems like a lot of milk. Given that we’re mostly prepping the pasta ahead of time, you want to make sure it is sitting in enough moisture to keep it moist for the duration of the bake time.
all about that pasta!!
Speaking of that pasta, you could literally use any shortcut variety you would like. I like something with a bit more of a textural bite, as I think it pairs nicely with the juicy shredded chicken. That being said, you could go with something more basic, like macaroni. Go with what you love… just make sure you don’t boil it all the way. You want to give it a bit of wiggle room to cook a bit in the oven.
Stir in your shredded chicken, some fresh tomatoes (that get so juicy in the oven), and top everything with more cheese!! More is more, especially with mozzarella and parmesan… so don’t go light on it. Plus, cheese gives everything a golden crisp topping without having to use any breadcrumbs and butter. So… like… health food? Right? Lol, for real, though, this dish is absolutely delicious!!
when to serve this up!
This Healthier Cheesy Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake is truly the perfect dish for any occasion. Need something to bring to a potluck? This is the one. Easy weeknight dinner for the whole family? You’ve got to make this. Need a good pasta for your dinner party spread? This is seriously the best. Plus, this is the perfect make ahead dish — making it so good for delivery to a friend or family instead of your typical boring casserole. Whether you make it earlier in the day then bake it off before dinner, or bake everything up and stick it in the freezer, this bake will be delicious. You have to make this one!!
I hope you love this Healthier Cheesy Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake as much as I do! Let me know what you think in the comments below:)
Healthier Cheesy Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake
Course: Main Course, PastaCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy12
servings5
minutes20
minutes25
minutesWith a base of a creamy pesto cheese sauce, your favorite short cut pasta, and a crispy cheesy top: this Healthier Cheesy Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake is an all time favorite comfort food!
Ingredients
¾ cup basil pesto (homemade or store bought)*
¼ cup all purpose flour*
2 tsp onion powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
Red pepper flakes, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 ½ cups (+ more for topping) mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup (+ more for topping) parmesan cheese, shredded
3 ½ cups milk of choice*
1 lb short cut pasta of choice, boiled for 2-3 minutes less than the package’s directed time
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
2 cups shredded chicken*
Fresh basil, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Boil your pasta for 2-3 minutes less than what is directed on it’s package (very al dente!). Rinse and drain.
- In a large dutch oven or pot, heat the pesto over medium-high heat. If your pesto is on the thicker side, thin with 2-4 tbsp water (you want it to be more of an oil consistency). Once hot, stir in the flour, onion powder, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Mix then stir in the mozzarella, parmesan, and milk and simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until the sauce starts to thicken.
- Toss in the boiled pasta, cherry tomatoes, and shredded chicken. Mix to combine, then pour the contents into a 9×13 baking dish. Top with more mozzarella and parmesan cheese, then transfer the baking dish to the oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the top is crispy and a cheesy sauce has formed underneath.
- Serve with fresh basil and enjoy!
Notes
- To make easy shredded chicken, start by heating a heavy bottomed pan over high heat on the stove. Add about 1 tbsp of olive oil, then sear the chicken on both sides for about 1 minute. Add enough broth or water to cover the chicken, bring the liquids to a boil, cover with a lid, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and tender. Then, shred with two forks or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Alternatively, you could use a rotisserie chicken for this recipe.
- I like to use almond milk to keep this recipe light. But, you could also use anything from skim milk to whole milk to heavy cream. The more fat content in your milk, the richer the sauce will be. Go with what you love!
- I like all purpose flour for creating a roux, but you could also use cassava or coconut flour. I would not recommend almond flour for this.