Recipes

Creamy Pesto Cavatappi with Mushrooms & Parmesan-Crusted Chicken

Base serves 2 with leftovers — slide to scale the ingredients.

🛒 Ingredients (Serves 2–3)

Pasta & Sauce

  • 8 oz cavatappi pasta
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup cremini or baby bella mushrooms, sliced
  • ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
  • ½ cup chicken stock (low sodium)
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ⅓ cup basil pesto (store-bought or homemade)
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated (plus extra for garnish)
  • Salt & black pepper, to taste
  • Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
  • Handful of baby spinach (optional)
  • Reserved pasta water as needed

🍗 Parmesan-Crusted Chicken (Optional but Recommended)

  • 2 boneless chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • Salt & pepper
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, for pan-frying

🍳 Instructions

Step 1: Prepare Parmesan-Crusted Chicken

  1. Set up dredging station:

    • Bowl 1: 1 beaten egg
    • Bowl 2: Mix Panko, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper

  2. Bread the chicken:

    • Dip chicken in egg, then press into breadcrumb-Parmesan mix.

  3. Pan-fry:

    • Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
    • Cook chicken ~4–5 min per side until golden and cooked through (165°F).
    • Rest and slice just before serving.

Step 2: Cook Pasta

  1. Boil cavatappi in salted water until al dente.
  2. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain.

Step 3: Make the Creamy Pesto Sauce

  1. Sauté aromatics:

    • In the same skillet, melt 1 tbsp butter + 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat.
    • Add mushrooms and cook until browned (4–5 min).
    • Add garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
    • (Optional) Stir in cherry tomatoes for 2 mins.

  2. Deglaze & simmer:

    • Pour in ½ cup chicken stock, scrape any bits from the pan.
    • Let simmer 2 mins to reduce slightly.

  3. Make it creamy:

    • Lower heat and stir in ½ cup heavy cream and ⅓ cup pesto.
    • Simmer until slightly thickened, ~3–4 minutes.

  4. Add Parmesan:

    • Stir in ¼ cup Parmesan until melted.
    • Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste.

  5. Combine pasta:

    • Add drained pasta and toss to coat.
    • Loosen with pasta water if needed.
    • (Optional) Fold in baby spinach and let wilt.

Step 4: Serve

  • Plate the creamy pesto cavatappi.
  • Top with sliced Parmesan-crusted chicken.
  • Garnish with more grated Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil or pesto.

💡 Tips & Variations

For the Pasta

  • If you can't find cavatappi, other short pasta shapes like penne, fusilli, or rotini work well.
  • For a lighter version, substitute half-and-half for the heavy cream.

For the Chicken

  • To save time, you can use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken instead of making the Parmesan-crusted chicken.
  • For a vegetarian version, omit the chicken and use vegetable broth instead of chicken stock.

For the Sauce

  • Homemade pesto will give the best flavor, but good-quality store-bought works well too.
  • Add a squeeze of lemon juice at the end for brightness.
  • For extra richness, stir in a tablespoon of mascarpone cheese along with the cream.

Make-Ahead Tips

  • The Parmesan-crusted chicken can be prepared up to a day ahead and reheated in a 350°F oven.
  • The sauce can be made a few hours ahead and gently reheated before adding the pasta.