10-Minute Pesto Pasta Chicken (Printable Page)

Tender chicken and aromatic pesto combine for a flavorful pasta dish ready in 10 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz dried short pasta (penne, fusilli, or farfalle)
02 - Salt, for pasta water

→ Chicken

03 - 2 cups (approximately 8.8 oz) rotisserie chicken, shredded or chopped

→ Sauce & Finish

04 - ½ cup (4 fl oz) high-quality store-bought pesto
05 - 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
06 - ¼ cup (1.4 oz) grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
07 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
08 - ½ cup (0.4 oz) fresh basil leaves, torn (optional)
09 - Zest of 1 lemon (optional)

# Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water, then drain pasta.
02 - While pasta cooks, shred or chop rotisserie chicken and set aside.
03 - Return drained pasta to pot over low heat. Add olive oil, pesto, and 2 to 3 tablespoons reserved pasta water. Stir to coat pasta evenly.
04 - Incorporate shredded chicken and grated Parmesan. Toss until chicken is heated and sauce is creamy, adding more pasta water if necessary.
05 - Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste. Optionally, stir in fresh basil leaves and lemon zest.
06 - Serve immediately, topped with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's genuinely faster than ordering takeout, and tastes fresher than what arrives at your door.
  • The rotisserie chicken does all the heavy lifting, so you're really just assembling something beautiful.
  • Pesto brings this bright, aromatic confidence to the dish that makes people think you've spent all day cooking.
02 -
  • Save the pasta water before you drain—this starchy liquid is what makes everything silky and cohesive, not the pesto alone.
  • Add the pesto off heat or over low heat; high heat can turn basil bitter and muddy all those bright flavors you paid for.
03 -
  • Buy your rotisserie chicken from the deli the same day you plan to eat it—it tastes noticeably fresher and the meat is still tender.
  • Taste as you go and don't be shy about adjusting—more pasta water if it's too thick, more pesto if you want deeper flavor, more Parmesan if you want richness.
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