Jamie Oliver pesto pasta with chicken is an amazing pasta treat. Healthy, colorful, spicy, and flavorful pesto pasta with chicken will leave you drooling. Try this pasta recipe in your kitchen to incorporate Jamie Oliver’s flavors.

It is delicious, fulfilling, and easy to make. Let’s know more about Jamie Oliver’s 20-minutes meal that gets ready in no time.
To make pesto pasta with chicken, cook beans in a pan. Also, cook the lasagna and spinach in another pan.
Blend almonds, parmesan, olive oil, lemon juice, basil leaves, and garlic until smooth. Cook the beans, spinach, pasta, and pesto together.
Toss the chicken with salt, pepper, and herbs. Fry along with chilies, garlic, and tomatoes. Then, combine everything into a casserole dish and put it in the oven to bake.
Garnish it with grated parmesan and pesto sauce drizzled on the top. Serve with basil and cheese on the top and enjoy your meal.
If you want a creamier pasta dish, stir in some heavy cream or half-and-half along with the pesto sauce. Try using different herbs in the pesto sauce, such as cilantro or parsley.
To make a vegetarian version of this dish, omit the chicken and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
This was just an overview of the recipe. Find the complete recipe below, along with the ingredients list, timings, and nutritional information.
But before going to the complete recipe, let’s check out some other recipes by some famous chefs. Before you proceed with the recipe, check out the list of other Jamie Oliver recipes.
Other Jamie Oliver Recipes That You Can Try
- Jamie Oliver Toad In The Hole
- Jamie Oliver Chicken Nuggets
- Jamie Oliver Gazpacho
- Jamie Oliver Beef Stew
- Jamie Oliver Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
- Jamie Oliver Black Bean Soup
- Jamie Oliver Apple Crumble
- Jamie Oliver Bolognese
- Jamie Oliver Broccoli Pasta
- Jamie Oliver Steak Marinade
What Equipment Will You Need To Make Jamie Oliver Pesto Pasta With Chicken?
- Frying Pan – Fry the chicken breast in a frying pan until crispy.
- Casserole Dish – Pour the pasta with the veggies and the sauce into the casserole dish to bake.
- Saucepan – Blanch the veggies using a saucepan.
- Blender – Blend the pesto sauce elements in a blender.
- Tong – Use a tong to flip the chicken to allow to cook on both sides.
- Aluminum Foil Paper – Fold the seasoned and spiced chicken breast into a aluminum foil paper.
- Knife – Chop the veggies with a knife.
- Chopping Board – Chop the veggies on a chopping board for fine cutting.
How Much Time Will You Need To Make Jamie Oliver Pesto Pasta With Chicken?
Preparation Time | Resting Time | Cooking Time | Total Time |
---|---|---|---|
5 Minutes | 15 Minutes | 20 Minutes | 40 Minutes |
What Ingredients Will You Need To Make Jamie Oliver Pesto Pasta With Chicken?
For The Chicken
- Chicken Breasts – Take boneless chicken breasts to prepare pesto pasta with chicken.
- Ripe Cherry Tomatoes – Add a few ripe tomatoes for tangy flavors.
- Olive Oil – Adding olive oil will keep the chicken moist and soft.
- Fennel Seeds – Marinate the chicken breast with fennel seeds. It adds an aromatic blend to the chicken.
- Fresh Rosemary – Fold the chicken with fresh rosemary for earthy and peppery flavors.
- Garlic Cloves – Bring out pungent flavors and fragrant blend by adding garlic cloves.
- Red Chilies – Spice up the marinade by adding red chilies.
- Sea Salt – Add salt to your taste.
- Black Pepper – Season your chicken with a pinch of black pepper.
For The Pasta
- Beans – Add green beans to the pasta. It is well paired with chicken and pesto sauce.
- Lasagna Sheets – Lasagna sheets torned thinely will be best suited to make pesto pasta.
For Pesto Sauce
- Parmesan Cheese – Grated parmesan cheese will be a great option to add cheesy blend.
- Lemon Juice – Squeeze the lemon to prepare the pesto sauce.
- Virgin Olive Oil – With a unique flavor virgin olive oil enhances the flavor of pesto sauce.
- Pine Nuts – Pine nuts are highly nutritious and filled with earthy and herbal flavors.
- Basil – Add some choped basil to the pesto sauce as well.
- Almonds – Blanched almonds will bring out a nice flavors to the pesto pasta.
- Garlic – Add a teaspoon of minced garlic to the pesto sauce for sharp taste.
- Spinach – Spinach has mild and sweet freshness that is great for adding to the pesto sauce.

Steps To Make Jamie Oliver Pesto Pasta With Chicken
1. Preparation Step
Begin to prepare everything beforehand. In a bowl, add fennel seeds, rosemary, garlic, red chili, olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper. Place chicken breast and marinate it.
Fold the chicken breasts into a foil and with a rolling pin bash the chicken to make it thin. Keep it aside for 15 minutes. You can cook the chicken immediately with the spices.
Then, for the pesto sauce, add spinach, grated parmesan cheese, garlic, pine nuts, lemon juice, almonds, spinach, and basil to a blender.
Add the olive oil in the end to avoid the bitterness in the pesto sauce. Merge the components and the pesto sauce will be ready at home.
2. Roast The Chicken
Place the marinated chicken breasts into a frying pan greased with oil. Roast the chicken until it is brown and crispy.
Blanch the green beans, basil with stalks, spinach, and lasagna for about 5 to 8 minutes. Then, in the chicken pan add tomatoes, basil, and garlic. Let it cook for some time until it is tender.
3. Oven’s Turn
Assemble everything into the casserole and put it in the oven to bake. First, add the blanched lasagna, beans, spinach, and chicken with tomatoes and the dried gravy of spices.
Add a teaspoon of olive oil, basil, ripe cherry tomatoes, and chili spooned over the top. Drizzle a spoon of pesto sauce over the top.
Garnish it with some grated parmesan cheese. Place the casserole dish in the oven and bake it for 5 minutes. The knockoff pesto pasta with chicken will be ready!
Nutritional Information
Calories | 581 kcal |
Carbohydrates | 31 g |
Protein | 49 g |
Fat | 28 g |
Saturated Fat | 5.4 g |
Dietary Fiber | 8 g |
Sugar | 5.4 g |
How Will Jamie Oliver Pesto Pasta With Chicken Look And Taste Like?
Jamie Oliver pesto pasta with chicken looks colorful and appetizing with all fresh greens and a cheesy blend of parmesan. The flavors of the marinated chicken are nicely infused with the other components.
Taste the excellence with each bite of pesto pasta with chicken. The chicken is cooked with herbs, spices, and tomatoes. Thus, it is spicy and tender.
The green pesto is the perfect partner to this chicken with its greens and garlic punch. The crispiness of the chicken compliments the smooth pasta perfectly.
Recipe Card
Jamie Oliver Pesto Pasta With Chicken Recipe
Equipment
- Frying Pan
- Casserole Pan
- Saucepan
- Blender
- Tong
- Aluminum Foil Paper
- Knife
- Chopping Board
Ingredients
For The Chicken
- 200 g Chicken Breasts
- ½ cup Ripe Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Fennel Seeds
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Rosemary
- 3 Garlic Cloves
- 2 Red Chilies
- teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
For The Pasta
- 1 cup Beans
- 1 Packet Lasagna Sheets
For Pesto Sauce
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 tablespoon Virgin Olive Oil
- ½ cup Pine Nuts
- ½ cup Basil
- ½ cup Almonds
- 1 teaspoon Garlic
- ½ cup Spinach
Instructions
- Toss the chicken with sea salt, black pepper, fennel seeds, and rosemary leaves on the greaseproof paper.
- Fold the chicken in the paper and flatten it with the help of a rolling pin.
- In a pan, add the olive oil and fry the chicken with crushed garlic cloves and chilies. Turn after a few minutes until it turns golden.
- Add the beans, after cutting their stalks, in a casserole pan and boil in salted water cook for a few minutes.
- In a grinder, add almonds, parmesan, olive oil, and lemon juice and basil leaves after ripping the stalks. Leave some basil leaves for garnishing.
- Add the garlic to the same grinder, add the cooking water of beans and salt. Blend until smooth.
- Cut the Lasagna sheets into square sheets and add to the pan with beans.
- Cook for a few minutes. Add tomatoes to the pan with the chicken and stir vigorously.
- In the pasta pan, add the spinach. Cook it for a few minutes. Then, drain the water, reserving a small cup of pasta water.
- Return the pasta, beans, and spinach to the pan and add the pesto. Cook it and add water until it will become smooth in texture.
- Chop the chicken breasts in half and serve with the tomatoes and chili over the top.
- Grate the parmesan over the pasta and add basil leaves over the dish.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do you make Jamie Oliver pesto pasta?
Prepare the pesto sauce, fry the chicken with spices, blanch the veggies and lasagna, and merge everything to bake in the casserole dish.
Do you use basil stalks in pesto?
Yes, you can add the basil stalks into the pesto sauce. It enhances the flavors pf the sauce.
Why is my pesto bitter?
To avoid the bitterness in the pesto sauce, don’t blend the olive oil. It can be added, when you blend all other components.
Should I refrigerate pesto?
Yes, refrigerate the pesto sauce in an airtight container. You can store the sauce for up to 4 days.
How much pesto should I add to my pasta?
One or two tablespoons of pesto sauce drizzled on the top can be enough. However, add according to the quantity of pasta prepared.
Conclusion
Pesto pasta with chicken is a classic dish that can be easily made at home with just a few ingredients. While there are many different ways to make this dish, the most important thing is to use fresh and high-quality ingredients.
This was it about this recipe. Leave your suggestions and queries in the comments below and I’ll try my best to get back to you. Till then, happy eating!
Hi there,
That should be grapeseed oil, not rapeseed. 🙂
Hey There,
It is basically rapeseed oil also known as olive oil in layman language. The recipe has been updated with the clarification, thank you for noticing! Keep coming back…
Rapeseed oil is the name given to oil produced from the seeds of the rape plant—a yellow flowering plant that’s a member of the Brassica (or cruciferous) family, which also includes broccoli and cabbage.