10-Minute Pesto Pasta Chicken (Printable View)

A vibrant pasta dish featuring rotisserie chicken and aromatic pesto, ready in 10 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz dried short pasta (penne, fusilli, or farfalle)
02 - Salt, for pasta water

→ Chicken

03 - 2 cups (approximately 9 oz) rotisserie chicken, shredded or chopped

→ Sauce & Finish

04 - 1/2 cup high-quality store-bought pesto
05 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
06 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
07 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
08 - 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn (optional)
09 - Zest of 1 lemon (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain.
02 - While pasta cooks, shred or chop rotisserie chicken and set aside.
03 - Return drained pasta to the pot over low heat. Add olive oil, pesto, and 2–3 tablespoons reserved pasta water. Stir to coat evenly.
04 - Incorporate shredded chicken and Parmesan cheese. Toss until chicken is warmed through and sauce is creamy, adding more pasta water if necessary.
05 - Season with freshly ground black pepper. Optionally, stir in torn basil leaves and lemon zest.
06 - Serve immediately topped with additional Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • You can have dinner on the table faster than most takeout places can deliver it.
  • There's no complicated technique to master, just good ingredients meeting each other in a warm pot.
  • The pesto does all the flavor work, so even on autopilot, you end up with something genuinely tasty.
02 -
  • The pasta water is not optional and it's not a garnish—it's the difference between a creamy, restaurant-quality sauce and one that separates and slides around the pan.
  • Don't skip tasting the pesto straight from the container, because some brands run very salty or herby, and you might need to adjust what you're adding.
03 -
  • Buy the best pesto your budget allows, because it's the only ingredient doing real flavor work in this dish.
  • If your rotisserie chicken has been sitting for a day, shred it fresh right before you use it so you get the most tender pieces, and discard any skin that's become tough.
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