Looking for a quick and delicious meal that combines chicken, creamy mascarpone, spicy harissa and the vibrant flavors of pesto? Look no further! This Creamy Chicken red pesto pasta is an easy-to-make dish that’s packed with flavor and perfect for any night of the week. With just a few simple ingredients, you can create a comforting pasta dish that feels like it came straight from an Italian trattoria.
This chicken red pesto pasta is the perfect balance of creamy, savory, and slightly tangy, thanks to the combination of red pesto and mascarpone. The tender chicken and the al dente pasta soak up all the delicious creamy sauce, making each bite irresistible. Plus, it’s quick enough to make on a weeknight but impressive enough to serve for a dinner party!
So, next time you’re craving something hearty, creamy, and full of flavor, give this dish a try. It’s sure to become a family favorite.
Topped with spring onion and parmigiano reggiano to top, this is delicious and indulgent but still contain four different vegetables.
Never tried red pesto before? If you love the rich, herbaceous taste of traditional basil green pesto, you’re going to adore red pesto. This vibrant, slightly smoky version is made with sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and pine nuts—giving it a deeper, more complex flavor that can elevate any dish.
You can quickly make your own by blitzing the following in the food processor – jar of sun-dried tomatoes, red bell pepper, roasted red pepper, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan cheese, olive oil, red wine vinegar, Salt and pepper, and Fresh basil leaves. However you can easily grab a great one from the grocery store.
Red Pesto Pasta Ingredients
Full details in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Cherry tomatoes – can sub for sundried tomatoes
- Red pesto – we use store-bought pesto, but you can use homemade pesto if you prefer pepper sliced
- Casareccia pasta – any pasta shape will work
- Olive oil – we use extra virgin olive oil
- Chicken breast – can use cooked chicken to save time.
- Harissa Paste – To give it a nice little kick. Can swap for tomato paste and red pepper flakes
- Mascarpone – can use cream cheese instead
- Spinach – fresh or frozen will work
- Spring onion – Adds a nice freshness and crunch to the pasta
- Red peppers – You can use any bell pepper
Red Pesto Pasta Recipe Servings
This pasta tastes amazing on it’s own, but here or some serving suggestions.
- Salad – Serve with a green salad on the side
- Lemon – Serve with a lemon wedge to add a squeeze of lemon juice
- Balsamic vinegar – Add a drizzle before serving
- Seeds – Top with you favourite seeds for some crunch, pumpkin seeds and work well sunflower seeds
- Green Olives – Serve with some diced green olives
- Fresh herbs – Add some chopped herbs for freshness
Looking for more pasta recipes? Then check out Creamy Mushroom Pasta, Avocado Basil Pasta or Healthy Ratatouille Pasta.
Red Pesto Pasta
Equipment
- 1 skillet
- 1 saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 Chicken breast
- 1 tbsp spring onion sliced
- 60 g red pesto
- 5 cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 red pepper sliced
- 10 g Belazu Rose Harissa Paste
- 200 g casareccia pasta or any type of pasta you prefer
- 60 g mascarpone
- handful of spinach
- Salt and pepper to taste
- parmesan cheese to top
Instructions
- Cook 200g casareccia pasta for 8-10 minutes in a large pot of salted water.
- Mix the chicken breast with the harissa paste and leave to marinate.
- Next, heat up a a large skillet with a little bit of oil. Once hot, add the marinated chicken, followed by the cherry tomatoes and red pepper, cook for a few minutes. Then add the mascarpone, red pesto, harissa and season to taste. Cook for a 3-4 minutes until the sauce is bubblin’.
- Drain and add your cooked pasta to the pan, followed by a handful of spinach. Toss together making sure all the pasta is coated by the sauce, and let simmer for a few minutes.
- Top with sliced spring onion and parmesan
Notes
- Use any pasta type you have
- You can use any veggies you like
- Cooke pasta until al dente
Let us know how it turns out! If you give this recipe a try, tag us on social media or leave a comment below. We’d love to hear how you made it your own!
You may also love – 40 Healthy Dinner Ideas or Red Lentil Tomato Dhal
