Prep: 5 With over 60 5-star reviews, this Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake has been one of my favorite easy weeknight dinners for years! Made with simple, healthy ingredients, this recipe comes together in a single baking dish and only requires a few minutes of prep time. The rest is hands-off baking time! This easy meal is so good and one you’ll want to make over and over again.
There’s nothing I love more than the flavor of pesto in the summer, and when it comes to weeknight meals, I love a good hands-off pasta bake! As a busy mom, the fact that I can make this recipe so quickly and easily is truly a game-changer. And the flavors are truly next-level good!
Hearty cooked chicken, spinach basil pesto (or store-bought, your choice!), whole wheat or lentil pasta, summer squash, tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella. It can be put together ahead of time and then baked when ready, or cooked and refrigerated/frozen for later. My entire family and I are obsessed with this recipe!
You’ll Also Love: Spicy Southwest Butternut Squash Casserole
Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake – A Recipe Everyone Will Love!
Even my toddler is as obsessed as I am with this Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake. I think we could literally eat it every single day! With how easy it is to make and how all of the flavors just come together, it feels like a splurge while still being quick and easy. This recipe is truly one of my favorites and I know it’ll be one of your favorites, too!
Chicken Pesto Bake Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need for this easy recipe:
Cooked Chicken – Rotisserie chicken, roasted chicken, or cooked chicken breast are all great options for this recipe. Simply cut the chicken into cubes or shred it for the casserole!
Penne Pasta – I love using lentil or chickpea pasta (opens in a new tab) for healthy recipes! Whole wheat pasta works great, too.
Spinach Basil Pesto – The star of the show in this recipe is the Spinach Basil Pesto! Make your own (in 5 minutes or less) or you can buy regular basil pesto (opens in a new tab) for this recipe as well.
Summer Squash – Summer squash, zucchini, eggplant, or even butternut squash are all great options.
Tomatoes – There’s nothing like fresh summer tomatoes when they’re ripe and in season! I used grape tomatoes in this recipe, but any type of tomato will work.
Yogurt – Plain yogurt mixed with salt, pepper, and garlic make a creamy sauce that ties this recipe together. Any type of plain yogurt will work (greek, low fat, whole milk), and sour cream is another great substitution.
Mozzarella – Top this pasta bake with just right amount of mozzarella! But can you really ever have too much??
Toppings (optional) – Feel free to add crushed walnuts, basil, parsley, cilantro, or play around with any type of fresh herb for a little extra flavor!
How to Make Baked Pesto Pasta
Making this pasta bake is SO easy. All you need is a casserole dish, (opens in a new tab) a pot for cooking the pasta, and a cutting board. Here’s how to make this Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake:
- Roast the squash in the casserole dish.
- Cook the pasta.
- Mix up the yogurt and seasoning.
- Add the yogurt mixture and pesto to the pasta.
- Combine everything in the casserole dish with the roasted squash.
- Top with cheese.
- Bake until everything is warm and the cheese is melted!
What to Serve With This Baked Pesto Pasta
- Pear & Goat Cheese Salad
- Crispy Air Fryer Zucchini
- Garlic Bread
- Fig & Goat Cheese Salad
- Crispy Brussels Sprouts
- Sourdough Bread
- Easy Quinoa SaladWith Feta Cheese
How to Store Pesto Chicken Pasta
One thing that I love about this recipe is that you can make a big batch and store the rest in the fridge for leftovers all week long. It can also be frozen or made as a freezer meal! Here’s how to store it:
Refrigerator – Store the leftovers in the refrigerator by placing in an airtight container. This recipe can be stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days!
Freezer – To freeze, place the cooked meal in an airtight container without the lid and let cool in the refrigerator for an hour. Then place the airtight lid on the container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months!
Tip: It’s best to reheat the meal in the oven from frozen for about an hour, so a freezer safe container that’s also oven safe is ideal (like these freezer-to-oven airtight containers (opens in a new tab)). However, the meal can also be reheated in the microwave!
RELATED: 6 Healthy Freezer Meals For New Moms (Or Anyone!)
More Wholesome Pasta Recipes
- Creamy Salmon Pasta Recipe
- Healthy Chicken Broccoli Pasta Casserole
- Easy Vegetarian Baked Ziti Recipe
- The BEST Easy Healthy Lasagna Recipe
Did you make this Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake recipe? Be sure to give it a rating below and tag your photos @jar.of.lemons! (opens in a new tab)
Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 medium summer squash
- 1/2 Tbsp avocado oil (opens in a new tab)
- 8 oz. penne pasta (opens in a new tab) (dry)
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 1/2 cups Spinach Basil Pesto (opens in a new tab)
- 2 cups cooked chicken (cubed or shredded)
- 1 cup grape tomatoes (halved)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 2 Tbsp crushed walnuts (opens in a new tab) (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cut the squash into cubes and place in the casserole dish.
- Drizzle with oil and roast for 15-20 minutes (or until it begins to soften).
- While the squash is roasting, cook and drain the pasta according to directions.
- In a small bowl, whisk the yogurt, garlic, salt, and pepper together with 1 Tbsp of warm water until smooth.
- Pour the yogurt sauce and pesto into the drained pasta and mix.
- Add the chicken, tomatoes, and pasta mixture into the casserole dish and mix.
- Top with shredded mozzarella and crushed walnuts.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until everything is warm and the cheese has melted.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this? I’d love to see!
Tag me on socials at @JarOfLemons (opens in a new tab) or #JarOfLemons (opens in a new tab)
This recipe was an absolute hit! I switched out chicken for ground turkey which made it even easier. I pretty much rely on JoL for all my recipes! Thank you!
Thank you so much, Hannah. I love to hear this! I’m glad you enjoyed this one!
Easy to make. I used high protein pasta and homemade pesto. It was very flavorful! Thanks for the recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for making it!
This was so easy and so yummy! Even my 3yo loved it! Definitely adding it into our dinner rotation!
Meal prepped today and couldn’t wait to sneak a bite of this when it came out of the oven. It did not disappoint! Easy to make (I cheated and used store bought pesto) and had plenty of flavor.
This dish seems perfect and easy to make for weeknight and definitely like something everyone will enjoy. Thank you