Pasta with Creamy Pesto and Chicken
Pasta with Creamy Pesto and Chicken is a comforting Italian-inspired dish that combines tender pasta, grilled or sautéed chicken, and a rich, creamy pesto sauce. The sauce typically features classic basil pesto blended with cream or cream cheese, creating a luxurious coating for the pasta and protein. This popular variation of traditional pesto pasta is widely enjoyed in home cooking and casual restaurants across Italy and internationally.
🍽️ Nutrition at a glance
This dish is high in carbohydrates from the pasta and protein from the chicken, with a significant amount of fat coming from the creamy pesto sauce. It provides key nutrients like calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin K from the cheese and basil, along with B vitamins and iron from the chicken. A typical serving ranges from 600 to 800 calories, depending on portion size and the richness of the sauce.
Nutrition breakdown
| Calories | 580 kcal |
| Protein | 32 g |
| Carbs | 45 g |
| Fat | 30 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Sodium | 780 mg |
| Potassium | 420 mg |
| Calcium | 180 mg |
| Iron | 2.8 mg |
| Vitamin A | 120 mcg |
| Vitamin C | 8 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.6 mg |
| Magnesium | 65 mg |
| Phosphorus | 350 mg |
Per 1 cup (240 g) · estimated, varies by recipe
💡 What's interesting
Culturally, this dish represents the evolution of traditional Genovese pesto, which originated in Liguria, Italy, into a globally adaptable comfort food. Nutritionally, the combination of basil and pine nuts in pesto offers antioxidants and healthy fats, though the added cream makes it a more indulgent version of the classic.
