Chicken Pesto Pasta

Elevate your pasta game with our Chicken Pesto Pasta, inspired by the iconic flavors of Chicago’s own Barnelli’s Pasta Bowl at Portillo’s. Tantalize your taste buds with perfectly al dente pasta coated in a luscious, basil pesto sauce, made with fresh mushrooms that capture the essence of summertime. When we lived in Chicago-land one of our favorite restaurants was Portillo’s. Some of the locations also had a Barnelli’s Pasta Bowl attached with amazing pasta and salads. My husband’s all-time favorite is the Chicken Pesto Pasta which is what inspired this recipe (no this is not a direct copycat, but it sure is tasty). Want to try your hand at making your own pesto? I regularly use my recipe for this pasta.

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Chicken Pesto Pasta

Creamy, cheesy, and delicious

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 2 servings

Ingredients

  

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 chicken breast
• 1-2 cloves chopped garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ⅓ cup grated parmesan
• ¼ cup pesto homemade or store bought
• 1½ cup farfalle pasta
• 6 oz button mushrooms sliced
• 2 Tbsp butter

Instructions

 

• Bring water to a boil for pasta.
• While it is coming to a boil combine your cream, pesto, and parmesan cheese and set aside.
• Prepare garlic, set aside. At this point your water should be boiling. Add your pasta and boil until al dente (approximately 11 minutes, check your packaging). While it is boiling you can prepare your chicken and sauce. Once pasta is tender and fully cooked, drain and set aside.
• Season your chicken with salt and pepper. Cook chicken in pan with olive oil over medium high heat until golden brown. Remove to cutting board and let cool.
• In the same pan, melt the butter and add garlic and mushrooms. Cooking until the mushrooms are browned and soft.
• Add the heavy cream, parmesan, and pesto, stirring to combine. Bring to a simmer and stir as the sauce reduces, approximately five minutes. While simmering, slice chicken as desired.
• Stir in pasta and chicken. Garnish with additional parmesan (optional) and serve.

Notes

• Looking for a homemade pesto recipe that will work for this pasta? Try out my basil pesto with garlic and parmesan!

Keyword chicken, pasta, pesto