Creamy Pesto Goat Cheese Pasta with Chicken & Tomatoes
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Creamy Pesto Goat Cheese Pasta with Chicken and Tomatoes is a rich, savory and satisfying dish that’s perfect for any night of the week. Pasta is tossed in a homemade creamy goat cheese pesto then topped with sautéed chicken and sweet tomatoes. It’s a restaurant-quality meal you can make at home in just 30 minutes!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ready in under 30 minutes – This recipe comes together quickly with a few simple steps.
- Flavor packed – The pesto has a rich, herby flavor that’s both savory and a little sweet.
- Naturally colorful – It’s a beautiful dish! The green pesto and red tomatoes make for a very appealing dish.
- Protein packed – Adding chicken adds ton of protein making for a nutrient dense meal.
Pesto Goat Cheese Pasta Ingredients
See recipe card for more detailed instructions.
- 1 lb spaghetti or linguine
- 2 chicken breasts
- Cherry tomatoes
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- Garlic
- Pine nuts
- Goat cheese
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Make the Pesto
- Boil the noodles
- Cook noodles until al dente according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Sear the chicken & tomatoes
- While the noodles are cooking, sear the chicken in a sauté pan until cooked through. Remove chicken. Add sliced tomatoes to the sauté pan and cook until plump and juicy, just a few minutes.
- Prepare the meal
- Add the noodles back to the pot they boiled in. Stir in the creamy pesto. Serve pasta on a plate. Top with sliced chicken, tomatoes and a lemon wedge for garnish.
Tips for Success
- Read through the entire recipe before starting. This helps prevent mistakes.
- Prepare ingredients before starting – measure, chop, etc. This helps prevent mistakes and makes clean up easier.
- Do not over-bend the pesto. Blend just until it comes together.
- Slice chicken in half or pound it out so it’s thin. The chicken cooks more evenly and I prefer to bite into a thin piece of chicken versus a thick piece.
- Reserve pasta water just in case the sauce is too thick. Starchy pasta water helps bring the pesto sauce together.
Variations
- Make this meal gluten free by simply using gluten free pasta.
- Make it vegetarian – swap the chicken for shrimp or chickpeas.
- Add additional veggies like spinach, zucchini, roasted red peppers and mushrooms. Simply sauté them for a minutes in olive oil with salt and pepper.
- Make is spicy by sprinkling some red pepper flakes into the pesto.
Storage and Reheating
Don’t let it go to the waste! Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, add a splash of milk or water and warm in a skillet over medium heat until creamy again.
Similar Recipes
If you enjoy light yet flavorful pasta dishes, check out these recipes below! They’re equally delicious and easy!
- Pesto Rosso – This Sun-Dried Tomato pesto is incredibly easy and flavorful. Serve over pasta or on crusty bread.
- Basil Pesto Pasta with Buttery Bread Crumbs – This traditional basil pesto pasta is delicious. It’s crunchy and satisfying.
- Pesto Pasta Chicken Salad – This easy pasta salad combines pesto pasta, mozzarella pearls, sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts and diced chicken for a hearty pasta salad meal.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a well-rounded simple weeknight meal, this is your recipe! It’s satisfying, comforting yet light and healthy. It’s packed with protein due to juicy chicken and has tons of flavor from fresh basil, garlic and Parmesan cheese. It’s family friendly while also being a wonderful recipe for a dinner party. Enjoy!
Creamy Pesto Goat Cheese Pasta with Chicken & Tomatoes
Warm pasta is tossed with goat cheese pesto, sauteed chicken and cherry tomatoes for a rich yet nutritious pasta meal!
Ingredients
Other ingredients
- 1 cup grape tomatoes,
- 2 large or 4 small chicken breasts, sliced in half and seasoned with salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar
- 1 pound spaghetti or linguine
- Lemon wedge for serving
Goat Cheese Pesto
- 2 cups fresh basil
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 2/3 cup good olive oil
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese (I used a mix of the two)
- 3 ounces goat cheese
- 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- pinch of salt
- pinch of pepper
Instructions
- To make the pesto add all of the ingredients to a food processor or blender except for the olive oil. Pulse until finely chopped and a paste forms, should happen quickly. With the food processor or blender on, slowly drizzle the olive oil in until pesto forms. Stop to taste for salt and pepper, add more as needed.
- Cook linguine or spaghetti al dente according to package directions in a large pot of salted water.
- Slice the chicken in half so you have two thin pieces. Season each with a sprinkle of salt, pepper and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.
- To cook chicken drizzle olive oil in a saute pan and place over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the chicken and sear on each side for 3-4 minutes or until cooked through. This should not take long since the chicken breasts are thin.
- Once pasta is done cooking, drain, and add it back into the pot it was boiled in. Add the tomatoes and pesto, and gently toss. Top each plate with chicken and a lemon wedge.
Your ingredients list two cheese but the steps don’t mention the cheese at all. When is it added?
Ooh, “all ingredients” – duh. I was using the search function to find the words. Disregard 🙂
no worries!
Had to make it with the ingredients on hand, so 1.5 cups of basil and .5 of parsley. Otherwise the same, and it ranks right up there with the best I’ve ever made. BTW, about 2 points per tablespoon on Weight Watchers. Thanks for the recipe.
This was fantastic!! Instead of using pasta, I used a Paderno Spiralizer to make zucchini spaghetti. I loved it! Thanks for the recipe.
Wahoo! SO glad you enjoyed it Melanie!
This dish is gorgeous!! Loving the colors 🙂
Thanks Serene!
I have been so into pasta lately! Love the pesto in this!
Thanks! I know me too! Pasta is the beeeeest