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white platter showing Pesto Chicken and Vegetables with Pasta

Chicken Pesto Pasta with Veggies

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Easy to prepare in under 25 minutes, this chicken and pasta recipe is perfect for busy night dinner. And it’s super versatile! Use in-season vegetables, and any size or shape pasta. Plus, choose from three unique scrumptious pesto recipes.

Note: This recipe was originally posted in September 2020 and updated in May 2025. These days, I prefer it with less pasta – around 2 ounces per person instead of 4. I’ve also found that “sweating” the vegetables (cooking them covered first), then finishing with a quick sauté, gives the best texture and flavor.

  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4 to 5 servings

Ingredients

Scale
  • 10 ounces linguine, tagliatelle or pappardelle
  • 3/4 cup Pesto Genovese, Cilantro Pesto, or Spinach Basil Pesto, divided use – see Note
  • 6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided use
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium red bell pepper
  • 1 medium yellow bell pepper
  • 1 thinly sliced yellow onion
  • 1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed
  • 3 1/2 cups chopped, cooked chicken (can use poached, sautéed, grilled or roasted)
  • 4 teaspoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil), drained

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta per package instructions.
    Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When boiling, add salt and cook pasta until al dente. Drain, return to the pot and toss with1/4 cup pesto and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Prep vegetables.
    While the pasts is cooking, core, seed and slice bell peppers into thin strips and cut into 1-inch pieces. Remove tough ends of asparagus and cut the stems into 1-inch pieces.
  3. Cook vegetables.
    In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat until hot. Add peppers, onions and asparagus, cover and cook, stirring every 2 minutes, until beginning to soften, around 5 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for another 2 – 3 minutes, or until vegetables are crisp-tender.
  4. Mix vegetables with other sauce ingredients.
    Reduce heat to low and stir in chicken and sun-dried tomatoes; cook just until chicken is heated through, around 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup pesto and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Plate and serve.
    Mound cooked pasta on a large serving dish (or 4 individual serving plates or pasta bowls) and top with chicken and vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese (or more to taste). Serve immediately.

Notes

Note on pesto: if you are short on time, use store bought. Just purchase the refrigerated kind if possible; the jarred stuff has little flavor (in my opinion).

  • Author: From "A Well-Seasoned Kitchen" by Sally Clayton and Lee Clayton Roper
  • Category: main dish, pasta, poultry
  • Method: sautéing
  • Cuisine: Quick and easy

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 bowl or plateful
  • Calories: 613
  • Sugar: 6.5 g
  • Sodium: 531.4 mg
  • Fat: 25.5 g
  • Saturated Fat: 5.5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 53.1 g
  • Fiber: 5 g
  • Protein: 41.1 g
  • Cholesterol: 80.8 mg