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Creamy Red Pesto Pasta with Chicken

Marble plate with red pesto chicken pasta garnished with sliced basil.
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This Creamy Red Pesto Pasta features juicy seared chicken strips, pasta, baby spinach and fresh basil in a vibrant red pesto cream sauce. It’s easy to make in 30 minutes and perfect for busy weeknights!

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken:

  • 8 ounces / 226 grams Chicken Breast, boneless, skinless – thinly sliced into bite-sized pieces
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt (use a little than half the amount if using fine sea salt), to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked Black Pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon Italian Seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for cooking

Creamy Red Pesto Pasta:

  • 1-2 small / 25 grams Asian Red Shallot (or use regular shallot/eschalots or red onion) – finely chopped
  • 3-4 cloves / 15 grams Garlic – minced
  • 4-6 pieces / 15 grams fresh Red Chilies (optional, I used Thai Bird’s Eye red chilies but any variety can be used, omit for milder dish – note 1*)
  • ¼ cup / 5 grams fresh Basil Leaves, loosely packed – thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup / 20 grams freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese (or Parmesan cheese)
  • 1 cup / 240ml Whole Milk
  • 5 ounces / 140 grams uncooked Bow Tie Pasta (farfalle, or any short-cut pasta shape)
  • ½ tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 3 tablespoons / 50 grams Red Pesto (store-bought or homemade – note 2)
  • 1 tablespoon/ 9 grams All-Purpose Flour
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt, to taste
  • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked Black Pepper, to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon Dried Oregano
  • 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon Dried Mint
  • ½ – 1 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon ground Cayenne (optional – omit for a milder dish), to taste
  • 2 cups / 66 grams Baby Spinach
  • ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons reserved Pasta Cooking Water, as needed
  • To Serve: Reserved fresh basil, more freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese (optional – or Parmesan cheese), to taste

Instructions

Prep: 

  1. Season the chicken: Slice the chicken into thin bite-sized strips and add to a medium bowl. Season with kosher salt, black pepper and Italian seasoning. Mix to coat, set aside.
  2. Prepare the rest of the ingredients: Chop/slice the shallots, garlic fresh red chilies (if using), and basil as indicated in the ‘ingredients’ section. Use a block grater to great the cheese. Measure out the whole milk in a measuring cup.

Creamy Red Pesto Pasta with Chicken:

  1. Cook the pasta: Cook the bowtie pasta al-dente in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta cooking water, then drain and set aside. (I like to run cold water over the pasta to prevent it from sticking and cooking further but this is optional.)
  2. Cook the chicken: Heat 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil in a medium deep edged skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned chicken pieces and spread them out in the pan. Allow to sear for 1 minute, then flip the pieces and sear the other side for another minute or so. Sauté for 2 minutes until browned and just cooked. Transfer to a clean bowl and set aside.
  3. Sauté the aromatics: To the same pan, add ½ tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and sauté for a minute until starting to soften. Then add the garlic and chilies and sauté for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
  4. Add the red pesto: Add the red pesto and sauté briefly to combine.
  5. Add the flour: Add the all-purpose flour and mix to combine. Cook for a minute to get rid of the floury taste.
  6. Build the creamy sauce: Lower the heat and slowly pour in the whole milk. Stir in the seasonings – the kosher salt, black pepper, dried oregano, Italian seasoning, dried mint, crushed red pepper flakes and ground cayenne (if using). Add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and mix until fully melted. The sauce will start to thicken.
  7. Add the pasta and chicken: Add the cooked pasta and chicken. Mix until everything is evenly coated in the sauce.
  8. Mix through the baby spinach: Add the baby spinach and 3-4 tablespoons of pasta cooking water. Mix until just wilted – about 1-2 minutes. If the sauce starts to thicken too much, add a splash more of reserved pasta water to thin it and mix until it reaches your desired consistency.
  9. Add the basil: Stir through most of the fresh basil (reserve some for garnish). Switch off the heat.
  10. Serve: Divide evenly onto plates and garnish with more freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese if desired and the remaining fresh basil. Serve immediately.

Notes

  1. Fresh Red Chilies. Use more or less to tailor this dish to your heat level preference. You can leave them out completely for a milder dish or if dining with children. Same goes for the crushed red pepper flakes and ground cayenne.
  2. Use a good quality red pesto. I used a high quality store-bought jarred red pesto from Marks & Spencer (M&S). It’s made with tomato puree, extra virgin olive oil, sundried tomatoes, red peppers, pine nuts, cashew nuts, Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano cheese, and garlic. The tomato and garlic flavors are very pronounced and I love this brand! Use any high-quality red pesto you love, either store-bought or homemade.
  3. Storing and reheating leftovers. Store leftovers in a sealed airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat, microwave on high for 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway through, until hot throughout. Garnish with fresh basil after reheating.
  4. Double the recipe. This recipe makes enough for 2 servings. Double the recipe ingredients by clicking the ‘2x’ button at the top of the recipe card if you’d like to make 4 servings to feed a family or make it for meal prep. The flavors taste great the next day so it’s perfect for an easy reheatable lunch or dinner during the week.
  5. Nutritional information does take into account the optional additional cheese you may use to garnish.
  6. See the ‘Variations’ section in the post above if you’d like to customize this creamy red pesto pasta dish.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://thatspicychick.com/creamy-red-pesto-pasta-chicken/