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One Pot Chicken Caesar Pesto Pasta: made in no time at all, this one-pot, 35-minute pasta is one you’ll want to make on repeat! Pan-seared chicken, fresh arugula, and basil pesto are tossed with your favorite pasta in a creamy Caesar-Parmesan sauce. Stir in an extra spoonful of pesto and some fresh basil at the end for a simple but seriously delicious meal.
Lately, I’ve been all about sheet-pan dinners, skillet meals, and one-pot pastas—this time of year just seems to call for them. Everyone in my family has been on the go this spring (me included!), and with travel and packed schedules, I still want to keep home-cooked meals a priority…even if I only have 30 minutes to pull them off.
I’ve also been thinking about meals that are easy to make while traveling. I’m hoping to join my family for part of their month-long trip. My mom always books a residence-style hotel room instead of a regular one—it gives us more space and, most importantly, a kitchen to cook in! They love to stay in and make dinner most nights, and so do I.
When I visit, it’s so nice to have a go-to recipe like a one-pot pasta. They’re simple, quick, and perfect for feeding everyone without making a mess.
With warmer days finally in the forecast (New York is full of blooming flowers right now—I just love it!), I’ve been seriously craving Caesar salad. That’s when I had the idea to turn my homemade Caesar dressing into a creamy chicken Caesar pasta.
And let me tell you—it turned out so wonderfully! It’s the kind of dish I know I’ll be making and sharing all year long.
I used arugula for some fresh greens, but feel free to swap in whatever looks best at the market. Spinach or baby kale would be great too!
Here’s to simple dinners that taste like something extra. Hope this one brings a little joy (and a lot of flavor) to your table!
Here are the Details
Ingredients
- salted butter
- chicken breast or thighs
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- paprika
- chili flakes
- basil pesto
- garlic
- Short-cut pasta – I love sedanini pasta or bow-tie for this
- whole milk
- cream cheese
- Caesar dressing – make a homemade Caesar
- parmesan cheese
- arugula – or spinach/kale/whatever you enjoy
- fresh basil and fresh dill
Special Tools
For this recipe, you’ll need a large pot but not much else!
Steps
Step 1: cook the chicken
In a big pot, toss the chicken with butter, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and chili flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Allow the chicken to cook fully and brown around the edges.
Just before the chicken is finished cooking, I like to mix in a few spoonfuls of basil pesto. Now, remove the chicken from the pot.
Step 2: cook the pasta
To that same pot, add a pat of additional butter, then the garlic. Cook just a minute, maybe 2, until the garlic is fragrant and begins to turn golden. I like it when the butter starts to brown a bit too!
Okay, now is when you will mix in the pasta. Add water and cook until the pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes. Add salt and stir often to ensure the pasta does not stick. If you do not stir often, the pasta tends to get stuck on the bottom of the pot.
Step 3: add milk and the caesar dressing.
Next, mix in the milk, Caesar dressing, and parmesan. Stir until the pasta is fully cooked and the sauce is creamy.
Slide the chicken back into the pasta. Add lots of fresh greens—I really like arugula. Then add the lemon juice and give it a stir.
Now, serve this up with freshly grated Parmesan and basil! It’s so quick and yummy! And while I know it’s different, the Caesar dressing is just delish when mixed with the pasta. It’s very Alfredo-like.
Looking for other one-pot recipes? Here are my favorites:
French Onion Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto
One Skillet White Chicken Chili Bake
Healthier Homemade One Pot Hamburger Helper
Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta
Lastly, if you make this One Pot Chicken Caesar Pesto Pasta, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
One Pot Chicken Caesar Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cubed
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 cup basil pesto
- salt, pepper, and chili flakes
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 pound short cut pasta
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped basil
- 2 tablespoon fresh chopped dill or parsley
- 2 cups milk
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 cup Caesar dressing
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2-3 cups arugula or baby spinach
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- 1. In a large pot set over medium-high heat, cook 1 tablespoon of butter with the chicken, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Cook for 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Toss with 3 tablespoons of basil pesto. Scoop the chicken out of the pot and set aside.2. Add the garlic and a tablespoon of butter. Cook for 1 minute, until golden. Add the pasta and 2 cups of water. Cook, stirring often, until the pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes. Stir in the milk, cream cheese, Caesar dressing, the remaining pesto, and parmesan. Mix until creamy.3. Slide the chicken back in, add the arugula and lemon juice, and mix them into the pasta.4. Serve the pasta immediately with fresh parmesan and basil. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Huge hit with my family! Everyone loved it. Next time I plan to double the recipe to have leftovers! I did have to add more water when cooking the pasta. Otherwise it all turned out great! We make a big batch of pesto every summer and freeze it in 1/4 cup blocks. So I just popped in a few frozen blocks of pesto to the hot pasta and it thawed into the dish quickly. So delicious!
Hey Bethany,
Happy Friday!! Thanks so much for making this dish and your feedback, love to hear it was a hit!
I’m not sure where I went wrong on this one, but my sauce didn’t get thick and/creamy it was quite thin. My pasta (radiatore) was still crunchy at 8 minutes with almost no liquid left so I had to add about a half a cup or so more water and a few more minutes. I used 2% milk. Was it maybe the extra liquid to cook the pasta? Or too thin of a milk? The flavor is amazing but the sauce just didn’t thicken at all.
Hi Dana,
Thanks for trying this dish and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear it didn’t turn out for you. Next time, I would try using whole milk and then turn your heat down a bit while the pasta is cooking and stir a lot. I hope this helps! xx
Will Banza chickpea pasta work for this recipe or do u need the starch from regular pasta to thicken?
Hi Jen,
So sorry, I have never tested this recipe with Banza, but I think it’s worth giving it a try! I hope you love this recipe! xx
Hi, I have leftover baked ham, do you think I can substitute the chicken for the ham with success?
Hi Anita,
I personally don’t think I would enjoy ham in this dish, but you could definitely give it a try if you think you will like those flavors. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
This is delightful so much flavor everyone loved this one, definitely a keeper! Thank you for this one, have just one question and maybe it’s obvious but what is the parsley and dill for? Garnishment?
Hi Nikki,
Wonderful! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! I did some arugula:) Happy Sunday! xx
Another home run, it will be a staple in the rotation of carb nights before track meets! The two cups of water to cook the pasta works very well, because some residual cooking happens while the cream cheese and milk are added. My family eats at wildly different times of night, and since there’s no extra pasta water I boiled water in a teapot and added a few tablespoons to mix as each person grabbed their dinner. Tieghan, your recipes have been such a major part of our lives and we appreciate your efforts!
Yay! Thanks so much, Lauren! I’m so glad to hear this pasta was a hit with your family, I appreciate you making it! Have a wonderful weekend! xT
This was great! I am not a big pesto fan, but I really enjoyed this, the flavors really worked.
I used a recipe for Caesar dressing that you had for another one of your recipes.
It was sooo good. Thank you for another great meal that I can add to my dinner rotations.
Hey Gina,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment, I’m so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xx
Very delicious! Lots of flavor
Hey Emily,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment, I’m so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xx
Hi Tieghan!
This recipe was awesome! I love Caesar anything so I will definitely be adding this to the weekly dinner rotation. Lots of leftovers to share! 🙂
Kimberly
Hey Kimberly,
Happy Monday!! I appreciate you trying this recipe and taking the time to comment, so glad it was enjoyed!!
My husband and kids loved this – and it’s hard to come up with meal ideas that everyone loves across the board. We’ll definitely make this again!
Yay!! Thanks so much, Bonnie! Love to hear this dish turned out well for you! xx
I made this recipe and my family loved it. We did have to add more water to cook the pasta. Delicious and the flavors really work together. Thanks Tieghan!
Hey Rebecca,
Happy Friday!🌺 I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it turned out nicely for you!
Quick and easy meal!!! All my kiddos (ages 12-2) gobbled it up and had seconds!!! I love a one pot/skillet meal. Thank you!!
Hi Tarrah,
Love to hear this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for making it and your feedback! Have a great Thursday!
This was a big hit with my whole family. Thanks for a great recipe.
Hey John,
Love to hear this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for making it and your feedback! Have a great Thursday!
I made this for my roommates, and I thought we’d have leftovers, but alas, we did not. We devoured every last morsel. This was SO GOOD.
We plan to make it again, but a double portion this time. 😁
Hey Alex,
Happy Wednesday!! Love to hear you and your roommates enjoyed this dish, I appreciate you making it! xx
I usually lean toward fettuccine Alfredo as my favorite creamy pasta dish, but this one hit it out of the park – thank you!
Thanks so much, Kara!! So glad to hear this dish was a hit, I appreciate you making it! xx