Chicken Pesto Pasta
Chicken Pesto Pasta provides 29g protein and 342 calories per serving — a lighter option that stretches across 10 servings for maximum prep efficiency. Quick stovetop cooking minimizes time spent in the kitchen while you recover from training. Use this to add variety to your rotation when you need to hit macros without heavy meals.
Ingredients
- •Olive oil(15g)
Regular (not extra-virgin) olive oil for high-heat cooking. EVOO for dressings.
- •Chicken Breast, Boneless Skinless(567g)
Boneless skinless. Buy in bulk and freeze — Costco rotisserie packs work too.
- •½ teaspoon kosher salt
- •¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- •Pasta, Whole Wheat, Dry(454g)
- •Basil Pesto, Prepared
- •Greek Yogurt (Nonfat)(240g)
Plain Greek yogurt — nonfat (0%) or low-fat (2%). Not regular yogurt.
- •Spinach, Frozen, Chopped
- •Tomato, Cherry
- •Red pepper flakes(1g)
- •Mozzarella Cheese(240g)
Part-skim mozzarella. Pre-shredded bags are convenient for meal prep.
- •Basil, Fresh(60g)
- •Parmesan Cheese(60g)
Grated Parmesan — the shelf-stable canister is fine for cooking.
Instructions
- 1Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- 2In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the diced chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté the chicken until golden on all sides and fully cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside.
- 3In a large stockpot of boiling, generously salted water, cook the pasta to al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid, then drain. Return pasta to the stockpot.
- 4While the pasta cooks, in a small bowl, whisk together the pesto and Greek yogurt until evenly combined.
- 5Stir in the spinach, breaking it up as needed and stirring until evenly combined.
- 6To the stockpot with the pasta, add the pesto/Greek yogurt mixture. Gently stir to coat the noodles in the pesto mixture. If the sauce is too thick, splash in some of the pasta water. It should be a little saucy.
- 7Add the cooked chicken, cherry tomatoes, and red pepper flakes. Gently toss to combine.
- 8Pour half of the pasta into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with 1/2 cup mozzarella and half of the basil. Layer the remaining half of the pasta over the top, spreading it into an even layer. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.
- 9Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted and just barely starts to turn golden. Remove and sprinkle immediately with the Parmesan cheese and fresh basil. Serve warm.
Nutrition — Per Serving
342
calories
29g
protein
10g
fat
- Carbohydrates
- 36g
- Saturated fat
- 4.1g
- Sodium
- 294 mg
- Dietary fiber
- 4.3g
10 servings per batch · ~164g each
Macro data sourced from USDA FoodData Central
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How much protein does Chicken Pesto Pasta have per serving?
Each serving contains 29g of protein and 342 calories with 10g fat and 36g carbs. The protein is moderate, so pair this with a higher-protein side to hit daily targets efficiently.
How long does Chicken Pesto Pasta take to make?
Quick prep on the stovetop yields 10 servings, giving you an exceptional batch size for a week-plus of ready-to-eat dinners from a single cooking session. This efficiency makes it ideal for bulk meal prep.
Is Chicken Pesto Pasta good for fat loss?
At 342 calories per serving with 29g protein, this recipe is calorie-light and portion-friendly for a cutting phase. The 10-serving batch size lets you prep an entire week of dinners at once while maintaining consistent calorie intake.
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