Chicken Pesto Pasta (with Rotisserie Chicken!)

By Well Seasoned Studio

Creamy, cheesy, and tastes like summer! Chicken Pesto Pasta is a staple in our kitchen. Roasted cherry or grape tomatoes get tossed with pesto sauce, mascarpone, rotisserie chicken, and bocconcini (little mozzarella balls!) for a quick weeknight pasta dish that is packed with flavor!

Three cheers for a creamy pesto pasta that requires very little cooking!

Once the pasta cooks, the remaining ingredients get tossed in a large bowl.

Add a little reserved pasta cooking liquid to help create a sauce, then mix in mascarpone cheese and homemade arugula pesto to make this next level creamy! Though honestly, this would be all kinds of delicious if made with my Trapanese tomato almond pesto. (a perfect use for an excess of summer tomatoes).

What you’ll get with this recipe:

• vibrant, fresh flavor from pesto sauce. This is our arugula pesto, but it would also be fantastic with Walnut Pesto, Ramp Pesto, Pistachio Pesto, or Garlic Scape Pesto.
• an easy weeknight dinner — we use store bought rotisserie chicken to keep the prep time down!
• a creamy texture from mascarpone cheese and bocconcini!
• sweetness from roasted tomatoes
• a peppery bite from fresh baby arugula

Ingredients For Chicken Pesto Pasta

• Spaghetti
• Rotisserie chicken
• Pesto sauce, store bought or homemade
• Roasted cherry or grape tomatoes
• Mascarpone cheese
• Bocconcini — These are those little mozzarella balls! You can substitute with fresh mozzarella that’s been torn or ripped into bite-size pieces!
• Arugula
• Kosher salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper

Homemade Pesto Sauce

This is our go-to pesto recipe! We use arugula in addition to basil to give the sauce a peppery bite that we are just crazy about.

A typical pesto sauce should not be heated, as it can ruin that vibrant, raw flavor of the basil (or arugula). Which is why the canned stuff from the store is never as good as homemade.

You can of course substitute with your favorite homemade or store-bought basil pesto, but if you’ve got the time and ingredients try making it at home!

Type Of Pasta To Use

The shape of pasta you use in any given recipe should be determined by the sauce.

For pesto, we recommend either a long, skinny pasta such as spaghetti or linguine, OR a twist shape pasta, such as fussili or gemelli.

Want to make your own pasta at home? This pasta dough recipe is stellar, and we love using our Kitchen Aid pasta attachment.

How to Make Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Place tomatoes cut side up on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp olive oil and kosher salt. Cook for 30-35 minutes, rotating the pan once halfway through cook time, until blistered and juicy.
2. Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking liquid, then drain and transfer pasta to a large bowl. Toss with 2 Tbsp unsalted butter or 2 Tbsp olive oil to help ensure pasta doesn’t stick. (You can skip this step if you don’t want to add more butter / oil!)
3. Add cooked tomatoes, rotisserie chicken, pesto, mascarpone cheese, lemon zest, and ½ cup reserved cooking water, then toss to combine. Mascarpone should be completely melted. If you want more of a sauce, add more pasta water, about 2 Tbsp at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
4. Add bocconcini or ripped mozzarella and fresh arugula, then toss once more. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
5. Divide chicken pesto pasta into bowls, then top generously cracked black pepper. Serve immediately (room temp is okay too!).

It’s okay to go heavy on the pepper!!

Side note: tossing rotisserie chicken with pesto is an instant way to make a quick, satisfying dinner that feels a little extra special. Pesto chicken is a favorite in our house!

Tips To Reheat Pasta

Who else agrees that pasta is often better the next day? Especially when it involves a beautiful sauce. Gives the flavors time to meld together, ya know?

To reheat chicken pesto pasta: place pasta in a large sauce pan. Add a generous splash of water (a few tablespoons), then reheat over medium-low until simmering. Add more water as needed, tossing the pasta as needed, until fully heated through, about 3-5 minutes.

Alternatively, you can heat pasta with a few tablespoons of water in a microwave for 2-3 minutes on high.

This Chicken Pesto Pasta is the kind of dinner you’ll crave all summer long. Juicy roasted tomatoes, creamy mascarpone, pesto, rotisserie chicken, and melty mozzarella pearls come together in a pasta that’s comforting, vibrant, and ready in no time. I’ve been making this weeknight pasta for over a decade and it’s always loved by all!

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: chef-tested pasta, elevated pasta recipe, pesto chicken, pesto sauce, restaurant-worthy pasta

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 469kcal

Equipment

• Rimmed baking sheet
• Large pot
• Colander

Ingredients

• ½ pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 1 lb spaghetti
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 cup rotisserie chicken, pulled or shredded
• ½ cup pesto, plus more for serving
• ½ cup mascarpone cheese, room temperature
• 1 medium lemon, zested, about 2 tsp
• ½ cup bocconcini or fresh mozzarella torn into bite size pieces
• 1 cup baby arugula
• ½ tsp flaky sea salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

• Roast the tomatoes. Preheat oven to 375°F / 190°C. Place tomatoes cut side up on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp olive oil and ½ tsp Kosher salt. Cook for 30-35 minutes, rotating the pan once halfway through cook time, until blistered and juicy.
• Cook the pasta. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook according to package directions for al dente, about 7 minutes. Before draining reserve about 1 cup pasta cooking liquid in a measuring cup. Drain pasta. Toss pasta with 2 Tbsp unsalted butter to ensure it doesn’t stick. Transfer to a large mixing bowl or back into the pot it was cooking in.
• Toss remaining ingredients. Add cooked tomatoes, rotisserie chicken, ½ cup pesto, ½ cup mascarpone cheese, lemon zest, and ½ cup reserved cooking water, then toss to combine. Mascarpone should be completely melted. If you want more of a sauce, add more pasta water, about 2 Tbsp at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
• Finish, then serve. Add bocconcini or ripped mozzarella and fresh arugula, then toss once more. Sprinkled with flaky sea salt and lots of freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.

Notes

• Stovetop reheating: Place the pasta in a large saucepan with a generous splash of water (a few tablespoons). Warm over medium-low heat, tossing occasionally and adding more water as needed, until heated through, about 3–5 minutes.
• Microwave option: Add a few tablespoons of water, cover loosely, and microwave on high for 2–3 minutes, stirring halfway through if needed.