Avocado Pesto Chicken Pasta

Hi there! It’s Alyssa from My Sequined Life back to share an easy and quick dinner recipe – creamy avocado pesto chicken pasta. It’s a lightened up version of traditional basil pesto and is done in about 45 minutes (including time to bake the chicken).

Growing up we’d eat pasta at least once a week, which may sound like it would be something we’d get tired of after awhile, but with a seemingly endless number of ways to mix up flavors, proteins, sauces, etc. we never did. One favorite that snuck in the rotation more than others was pesto.

Specifically pesto with as many basil leaves that can be packed in there as possible. We had a few basil plants in our backyard that would go nuts in the summertime, so any meal that used fresh basil quickly shot to the top of the list. Good thing we like basil. 🙂

read more: Try our Basic Pesto Recipe next!

Since we’re moving this spring, my garden will have to wait to be planted for a little while, so I made do with basil from the grocery store. This avocado pesto chicken pasta features a hearty amount of it (one-and-a-half packed cups) like my childhood favorite, but has a fun change in that an avocado is added to the sauce for a seriously creamy twist that reduces the quantity of oil used. Just throw a ripe avocado in the food processor when you’re mixing up the sauce and that’s it!

There are a few customizable options here. I baked chicken tenders with a simple coating of olive oil and spices and served them on top of (and mixed into) this pasta. This would be a great dish to use leftover cooked chicken, or you can omit for a vegetarian option. Then there’s the pasta. I used penne, but your preferred pasta shape would work just fine. There’s definitely room to do your own thing!

read more: Looking for more easy Italian recipes? Try our best ever Bolognese Recipe as well!

What is Pesto?

Pesto is a sauce of crushed basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil. It is usually served with pasta.

How Long Will Pesto Keep?

Homemade pesto will keep 5-7 days in the refrigerator. It can be frozen for 3-4 months.

How Can You Tell if an Avocado is Ripe?

Gently squeeze the avocado in the palm of your hand. If it indents slightly, but does not remain indented, it is ripe. If it remains indented or feels mushy, it is overripe. You can also gently push on the stem, if it slightly pushes into the avocado, it is ripe.

Avocado Pesto Chicken Pasta

4.73 from 11 votes

Creamy Avocado Pesto Chicken Pasta

By Sweet Basil

Prep14 minutes mins

Cook31 minutes mins

Total45 minutes mins

Servings4 -5 servings

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Creamy avocado pesto chicken pasta. It's a lightened up version of traditional basil pesto and is done in about 45 minutes (including time to bake the chicken).

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

For the Chicken:

• ▢ 4-5 Chicken Breast Tenders
• ▢ Olive Oil, for brushing
• ▢ Spices, for chicken

For the Pasta:

• ▢ 1 Pound Penne Pasta, or desired pasta
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon Salt

For the Sauce:

• ▢ 1 1/2 Cups Fresh Basil Leaves, packed
• ▢ 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
• ▢ 1/4 Cup Pine Nuts or Walnuts, I used a mixture of both
• ▢ 2 1/2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice, about 1 lemon
• ▢ 1 Avocado
• ▢ Sea Salt and Pepper
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons Grated Parmesan Cheese

US Customary - Metric

Instructions 

To make the chicken:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Brush chicken generously with olive oil and season with desired spices. I sprinkled salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried basil, and cayenne pepper over top.
  4-5 Chicken Breast Tenders, Olive Oil, Spices
• Place chicken equally-spaced on greased baking sheet and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is completely white throughout and internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
• Cut chicken into small pieces and set aside.

To make the pasta:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt.
  1 Tablespoon Salt
• Add penne and cook for 11 minutes, or until your preferred doneness.
  1 Pound Penne Pasta
• While the pasta is cooking, prepare sauce.
• Add basil leaves, garlic, and nuts to a food processor and pulse so the basil and nuts are well broken up.
  1 1/2 Cups Fresh Basil Leaves, 2 Cloves Garlic, 1/4 Cup Pine Nuts or Walnuts
• Add olive oil, lemon juice, avocado flesh, and salt and pepper and process until sauce is creamy.
  2 1/2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2 Tablespoons Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice, 1 Avocado, Sea Salt and Pepper
• Once the pasta is done, drain cooked penne with a colander and return pasta to the pot.
• Add sauce, Parmesan cheese, and chicken and stir so that everything is combined.
  3 Tablespoons Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Serve while warm.

Recipe Notes

This is a great recipe to use leftover chicken in!

Total time for this recipe includes preparing the chicken beforehand, and then cooking the pasta and making the sauce at the same time. It'll likely be quicker if you bake the chicken while the pasta/pesto sauce is happening.

refrigerate leftovers for 2-3 days

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 612kcal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 36g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 27g, Cholesterol: 44mg, Sodium: 2280mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 1g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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