Pesto Chicken Broccoli Pasta

Pesto chicken broccoli pasta is a delicious healthy weeknight dinner recipe. Made with homemade pesto, the whole family will love it!

Made with penne pasta homemade basil pesto, chicken and broccoli, this pesto chicken broccoli pasta is an excellent healthy all year round meal.

I took my inspiration for this recipe from my popular chicken pesto pasta. Except this one has broccoli in it!

If you don't have time to make your own pesto (I do recommend it though) then you can substitute with shop bought instead.

However, I've included full step-by-step instructions below for not only how to make this pesto chicken broccoli pasta recipe but also how to make homemade pesto using a food processor or by using a pestle and mortar.

Hopefully you can see how easy it is to make your own pesto and will agree that there is no substitute for making your own.

This tasty chicken broccoli pesto pasta recipe is made with no cream and is the ultimate comfort food!

Once you've made the pesto there's just the chopping of the broccoli and chicken to make this delicious pesto chicken pasta.

You can do the chopping whilst you've got your pasta cooking.

Then cook the broccoli, then the chicken and mix everything together.

Serve your delicious pesto sauce covered chicken and broccoli on slightly warmed plates sprinkled with some freshly grated parmesan cheese.

The recipe serves 4, it's a great recipe for the whole family and easily customisable too!

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Step By Step Instructions
• How To Make Homemade Pesto Using A Food Processor
• How To Make Homemade Pesto Using A Pestle And Mortar
• How To Make Pesto Chicken Broccoli Pasta
• Substitutions
• FAQ's
• Other Popular Pasta Recipes You Might Also Like
• 📋 Pesto Chicken Broccoli Pasta Recipe
• Nutrition Label
• Rate The Recipe

Ingredients

• Fresh Basil Leaves
• Lightly Toasted Pine Nuts
• Cloves Garlic
• Lemon Juice
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Parmesan Cheese
• Freshly Ground Salt And Black Pepper
• Penne Pasta
• Broccoli Florets
• Olive Oil
• Chicken Breasts
• Pesto
• Grated Parmesan Cheese (optional for garnish)

See recipe card for quantities.

Step By Step Instructions

Detailed instructions are in the recipe card below. But here is a quick step by step guide of how to make this pesto chicken broccoli pasta recipe:

How To Make Homemade Pesto Using A Food Processor

Step 1

• Blitz basil leaves, pine nuts and garlic in a food processor.

Step 2

• Remove the blended ingredients into a seperate small bowl and mix with the lemon juice, oil and parmesan cheese. Season to taste.

How To Make Homemade Pesto Using A Pestle And Mortar

Step 1

• Bash the basil leaves into a pulp first.

Step 2

• Then add the pine nuts and garlic and bash them all together into a pulp.

Step 3

• Remove the ingredients into a separate bowl, add the lemon juice, oil, and the Parmesan cheese, mix all together. Season the basil pesto sauce to taste.

How To Make Pesto Chicken Broccoli Pasta

Step 1

• Cook the pasta al dente according to the packet instructions. Drain and reserve 3 -4 tablespoons of the pasta water.

Step 2

• Cook the broccoli pieces. Once cooked drain into a colander.

Step 3

• Gently heat the oil in a large saucepan / skillet then cook the chicken until cooked through.

Step 4

• Stir in the broccoli, pasta then the pesto and heat through. Use the reserved cooking water if needed.

Step 5

• Serve the pesto chicken broccoli pasta garnished with some grated Parmesan cheese.

Substitutions

• Fresh Basil Leaves - essential to make the homemade basil pesto.
• Lightly Toasted Pine Nuts
• Cloves Garlic
• Lemon Juice
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Parmesan Cheese - you can use an alternative hard cheese
• Freshly Ground Salt And Black Pepper
• Penne Pasta - I use wholewheat penne pasta. You could also use other types of tube shaped pasta like rigatoni. Farfalle or rotini would be suitable too.
• Broccoli Florets
• Olive Oil - an ordinary cooking olive oil is fine.
• Chicken Breasts - I use skinless chicken breast. You could use leftover roast chicken, boneless skinless chicken thighs or rotisserie chicken.
• Pesto
• Grated Parmesan Cheese (optional for garnish)

FAQ's

How Long Does Homemade Pesto Last In Fridge?

How long does pesto last? This easy basil pesto sauce will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator if stored in an airtight container.

How Long Does Homemade Pesto Last In Freezer?

Pesto will keep in the freezer for up to six months. Freeze it in ice cube containers or wrap it in plastic wrap.

What Are The Pesto Chicken Broccoli Pasta Calories?

604 calories per serving.

How To Store Leftovers?

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for 2 - 3 days in the fridge.

Can You Freeze This?

Yes. Allow to cool completely first then portion any leftovers into individual containers.

How To Reheat?

This is best reheated on the stove gently in a saucepan over a low heat. Although you can reheat in a microwave on short 1 minute blasts too.

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Other Popular Pasta Recipes You Might Also Like

Nutrition Label

Nutritional information provided below is calculated using paid for online tools and the exact ingredients and quantities used above.

Rate The Recipe

If you’ve made this creamy pesto chicken broccoli pasta recipe, or any other recipes on Neil's Healthy Meals, then please let me know.

I’d love to hear what you think of my recipe in the comments below and please do rate my recipe 5* if you like it! 🙂