Basil Pesto Chicken Pasta. Delicious, creamy dairy-free pesto pasta with tender chicken. Ready in 30 minutes. Perfect for as a meal and great as leftovers for the whole family to enjoy!
What is Basil Pesto Chicken Pasta?
It's a delicious creamy pasta dish featuring a fragrant basil pesto sauce made without dairy with tender juicy chicken and zucchini. It's a classic in Italian cuisine and I absolutely love this dish with a passion! Fantastic as a meal for the whole family to enjoy and it comes together in just 30 minutes. Making this pasta dish quick and convenient for a busy weeknight meal when there's little time to cook.
I love making this repeatedly for myself as I'm mostly dairy-free. I had to find a way to enjoy pesto again without the cheese so after lots of recipe testing, I discovered that raw cashew nuts and nutritional yeast make for a great substitute for parmesan cheese. Today I am thrilled to share this delicious dairy free version of basil pesto pasta and I hope you equally enjoy it as much as I do!
Ingredients
- Rotini pasta: I recommend rotini but you can use any pasta you enjoy and cook it according to package directions
- Zucchini
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Garlic
- Reserved pasta water
- Extra virgin olive oil
Pesto Sauce:
- Fresh basil leaves
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Raw cashews
- Garlic
- Salt
- Nutritional yeast
How to Make Dairy-Free Basil Pesto Pasta
Slice and Season Chicken
Season sliced chicken with salt and black pepper and set aside.
Create Basil Pesto Sauce
In a blender or food processor, blend pesto ingredients until smooth (basil, extra virgin olive oil, raw cashews, garlic, salt and nutritional yeast). Set aside.
Cook Pasta
Boil your pasta according to package instructions. Reserve β cup hot pasta water. Strain pasta in a colander.
Cook Chicken & Veggies
In large pan or skillet set on medium high heat, fry minced garlic in olive oil until fragrant. Add in chicken and cook for 5 minutes. Then add in zucchini and fry until cooked.
Add Pesto & Pasta Water
Once chicken and zucchini is cooked, add in pesto sauce and pasta water to create sauce.
Toss in pasta
Add in pasta and mix to combine. Serve and enjoy!
Storage & Reheating
This dish will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, microwave for 2-3 minutes or reheat on the stovetop in a pan on medium heat until hot.
FAQ
Do they have to be raw cashews?
Yes, these break down more easily into a paste.
Can I substitute with another type of protein?
Yes, shrimp, pork or tofu can work.
Can I use gluten-free pasta?
Yes!
Other Pasta Recipes to Enjoy!
- Chicken Tomato Zucchini Pasta
- Kimchi Cream Pasta
- HK Style Fish Filet Cream Sauce Pasta
- Tomato Garlic Pasta
- Tomato Basil Zucchini Pasta
- Creamy Chicken Spinach Mushroom Pasta
π Recipe
Easy Dairy-Free Basil Pesto Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs thinly sliced
- 2 small zucchinis thinly sliced for faster cooking
- 250 grams pasta rotini kind recommended
- β cup reserved pasta water
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil for cooking
- Β½ teaspoon salt
- ΒΌ teaspoon black pepper
Pesto Sauce:
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves packed
- ΒΌ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Β½ cups raw cashews
- 2 cloves garlic
- Β½ teaspoon salt
- ΒΌ cup nutritional yeast
Instructions
- Season sliced chicken with salt and black pepper and set aside.
- In a blender or food processor, blend pesto ingredients until smooth (basil, extra virgin olive oil, raw cashews, garlic, salt and nutritional yeast). Set aside.
- Boil your pasta according to package instructions. Near the end, reserve β cup hot pasta water. Strain pasta in a colander.
- In large skillet set on medium high heat, fry minced garlic in olive oil until fragrant. Add in chicken and cook for 5 minutes. Then add in zucchini and fry until cooked.
- Once chicken and zucchini is cooked, add in pesto sauce and pasta water to create sauce.
- Add in pasta and mix to combine. Serve and enjoy!
Jamie
This looks delicious, Christie! Thanks for sharing another healthy meal π
Christie
Thanks so much for checking it out Jamie!!
Vie
This is absolutely delicious. I made it for my family including a toddler who normally wonβt eat pasta and he loved it. A definite keeper and a bonus that it is healthy too. Thanks Christie!
Freja
This looks delish! Can I use just a regular jar of pesto from the shops? If so, how much do you recommend I use? Thanks heaps
christieathome
Thanks so much! I would suggest finding a jar that is at least 125 -250 ml of Pesto to ensure you cover every noodle! Hope that helps.
Helene
I had to substitute cashews with pistachios because I didn't have that on hand. But it turned out great! Love that it uses nutritional yeast making it diary free ! Will have to try it again with cashews next time π
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe Helene! Glad it worked well for you!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
This is such a great way to use up some of that fresh basil I have growing in my backyard right now... and using cashews instead of pine nuts in your homemade pesto was genius. It makes your homemade pesto so much less expensive to make!