CHICKEN PESTO PASTA BAKE

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Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake image

This recipe was born out of my need to use up some things from my freezer- chopped chicken meat and homemade basil pesto. It's easy, tasty, and can be made ahead. If you want to make a one dish meal out of this, toss in a 10 ounce bag of thawed frozen vegetables. I used homemade stock as well, but canned will work fine.

Provided by IngridH

Categories     < 60 Mins

Time 35m

Yield 6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 11

12 ounces penne pasta, other similar sized shapes work too
3/4 lb chicken (cooked)
4 tablespoons pesto sauce (homemade or bottled)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
3 cups chicken stock
1 chicken bouillon cube
salt
pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Steps:

  • In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta to just short of al dente.
  • Drain the pasta, and place in a large mixing bowl.
  • Add the chopped chicken and pesto to the bowl, and stir to coat.
  • If adding vegetables, add them to the bowl now.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
  • In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
  • Add the flour, and whisk to form a roux.
  • Cook for 2-3 minutes.
  • Slowly whisk the stock into the roux.
  • Bring to a boil, and contiue to whisk until the sauce is slightly thickened.
  • Crumble the boullion cube, and add to the sauce.
  • Stir in the lemon juice.
  • Taste the sauce for seasoning, and add salt or pepper as needed.
  • Add the sauce to the chicken and pasta mixture.
  • Stir to combine well, then place the mixture in the prebared baking dish.
  • Top with the grated cheese.
  • If making ahead, cover at this point and chill until needed.
  • Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the top is golden. If made ahead, the baking time may need to be increased.

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