Quick and Easy Chicken Pesto Pasta Recipe

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This post is sponsored by Barilla, but all the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Our new baby is scheduled to arrive in less than 2 months! I can’t believe it’s almost time already. It seems that my babies are always the neediest right as I begin to fix dinner. Does this happen to anyone else? Rather than resorting to take-out night after night, the past few weeks I have been spending a lot of time making a list of wholesome meals that I can have on the table quickly and with minimal effort, plus trying to create a few new, quick-prep recipes we can enjoy as well.

Today I wanted to share with you one of my new favorite quick-serve meals: my Quick and Easy Chicken Pesto Pasta recipe. It takes just 5 minutes to get it on the table and costs about $2.50 per person when I make it for our family of 6 (plus we usually have leftovers for later)! Even better, this is a recipe that even my picky kids will devour!

Quick and Easy Chicken Pesto Pasta Recipe

Ingredients

• (2) packages of Barilla Ready Pasta: Penne or Rotini (I used Rotini this time but have used penne in the past – they are both great choices for this recipe)
• (2) jars of Barilla Traditional Basil Pesto Sauce, 6.0 OZ
• (1) Rotisserie Chicken (pre-cooked)
• Fresh Diced Tomatoes (You can find freshly diced tomatoes ready to go at Walmart. Look for the Marketside brand.)

Directions

1. Warm the Barilla Ready pasta in the microwave – it takes just 60 seconds per bag! Microwave each bag separately for best results and don’t forget to vent the package.
2. While the pasta is warming in the microwave, shred bite-sized pieces of chicken from the rotisserie chicken.
3. In a large bowl, combine chicken, Barilla Ready Pasta, and Barilla Pasta Traditional Basil Pesto Sauce then toss until chicken and pasta pieces are well coated.
4. Garnish the top of the Chicken Pesto Pasta with diced tomato. (My kids love being able to add this topping on themselves!)
5. Serve immediately

That’s it! This meal is so simple and yet bursting with flavor! Pair it with a bagged salad mix and rolls from the Walmart deli for a no-fuss weeknight meal!

Since we will (very soon) have 5 kids, ages 8 and under in our home, I’m loving foods that allow me to make a home-cooked meal in a fraction of the time, like the Barilla Ready Pasta. I can have this meal on our table in just 5 minutes! You really can’t beat that!

Barilla Ready Pasta is Non-GMO and can be found in the pasta aisle. The packages, which warm in the microwave in a mere 60 seconds, include just 3 simple ingredients: sea salt, olive oil, and pasta. You can find Barilla Ready Pasta in penne, gemelli, elbows, and rotini shapes.

Over the next few weeks, I plan to experiment more with Barilla’s Ready Pasta so I can create a number of flavorful meals my family can enjoy, in a fraction of the time!

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