Parmesan
पार्मेज़ानپارمیزان
pārmezān
Freshly grated.
Its job: Salty umami.
Science-backed recipe
From the MedRise Food Science kitchenPublished
Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta with Parmesan and Mozzarella
Also called Baked Pesto Chicken Pasta · क्रीमी पेस्टो चिकन पास्ता · کریمی پیسٹو چکن پاستا
Golden seared chicken and pasta in a pesto-parmesan cream sauce, blanketed in mozzarella and broiled until bubbling.
In short
Creamy pesto chicken pasta: seared chicken and pasta in a parmesan-pesto cream sauce, topped with mozzarella and broiled. About 42 g protein per serving.
From the MedRise Food Science kitchenPublished - Active
- 45 min
- Prep
- 15 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Serves
- 6
Why this recipe works
- ✓Restaurant-richParmesan and a little umami boost.
- ✓Golden chickenSeared, not boiled.
- ✓Bubbly topMozzarella under the broiler.
- ✓High proteinChicken and cheese.
What makes creamy pesto pasta work?
A cream sauce flavored with basil pesto and parmesan, tossed with pasta and seared chicken, then topped with mozzarella and broiled.
Meet the ingredients
The main ingredients, with their English, Hindi and Urdu names.
Mozzarella
मोज़रेलाموزاریلا
mozarelā
Shredded, low-moisture.
Its job: The melty top.
The lab notes
The science behind every step
Restaurant cooks do these things by habit. Here’s what each step is actually doing to the food, so you can cook by understanding instead of guesswork.
Lab note01
Sear for flavor
Pat the chicken dry and sear in a hot pan without crowding.
A dry surface browns fast through the Maillard reaction; wet or crowded chicken steams and stays pale.
Lab note02
Umami boost
Add parmesan plus a teaspoon of soy sauce or a few sun-dried tomatoes.
Parmesan, soy and sun-dried tomatoes are rich in glutamate, the savory umami compound, which makes the sauce taste deeper.
Lab note03
Pesto off the heat
Stir pesto into the cream after it simmers.
Boiling pesto turns the basil dark and bitter.
How to make it, at a glance
- Season and searPat the chicken dry, season and sear in the oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat until golden and 165°F, 3–4 minutes per side. Set aside.
- Cook the pastaBoil the pasta until just al dente, saving 1 cup pasta water.
- Make the sauceIn the same skillet, melt the butter, add the garlic for 30 seconds, then the cream; simmer 3 minutes. Stir in the parmesan and soy sauce or sun-dried tomatoes until smooth.
- Add pestoOff the heat, stir in the pesto, then the pasta, chicken and a splash of pasta water.
- BroilTop with mozzarella and broil 3–4 minutes until bubbly and browned in spots.
Exact amounts and timings are in the recipe card below.
Questions, answered
How do I make pesto pasta more flavorful?
Add umami: more parmesan, a teaspoon of soy sauce or chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
Why is my cream sauce greasy?
It boiled too hard after the cheese went in; keep it at a gentle simmer and add pasta water.
About MedRise Food Science
Desi restaurant favorites, recreated at home and explained with food science: every recipe is tested in a home kitchen and comes with the why behind each step.
Recipe card
Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta with Parmesan and Mozzarella
Creamy pesto chicken pasta: seared chicken and pasta in a parmesan-pesto cream sauce, topped with mozzarella and broiled until bubbly. Plus the umami tricks that make it taste restaurant-rich.
Prep15 minCook30 minTotal45 minServes6 servings
Ingredients
Chicken
Sauce and pasta
Instructions
- Season and searPat the chicken dry, season and sear in the oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat until golden and 165°F, 3–4 minutes per side. Set aside.
- Cook the pastaBoil the pasta until just al dente, saving 1 cup pasta water.
- Make the sauceIn the same skillet, melt the butter, add the garlic for 30 seconds, then the cream; simmer 3 minutes. Stir in the parmesan and soy sauce or sun-dried tomatoes until smooth.
- Add pestoOff the heat, stir in the pesto, then the pasta, chicken and a splash of pasta water.
- BroilTop with mozzarella and broil 3–4 minutes until bubbly and browned in spots.
Instant Pot method
One pot for the chicken and pasta. The cream, parmesan and pesto go in only after pressure cooking, because dairy can curdle or scorch under pressure and boiled pesto turns dull and bitter.
- Sear the chickenSelect Sauté (More/High). Pat the chicken dry, season it and sear in the oil in two batches until golden, about 2 minutes per side; it finishes cooking later. Set aside.
- Garlic and deglazeAdd the butter and garlic for 30 seconds, then 3 cups water or low-sodium chicken broth, and scrape the bottom completely clean. Press Cancel.
- Pressure cookAdd the pasta and press it under the liquid without stirring, then lay the chicken on top. Lock the lid, set the valve to Sealing and pressure cook on High for half the lowest time on the package, minus 1 minute (5 minutes for 12-minute rigatoni). Quick release in short bursts. The thickest piece of chicken should read 165°F.
- Make it creamySelect Sauté (Less/Low), stir in the cream and simmer for 2 minutes. Press Cancel, then stir in the parmesan and the soy sauce or sun-dried tomatoes, and finally the pesto.
- Broil (optional)For the bubbly top, spoon it into an oven-safe baking dish, cover with the mozzarella and broil for 3–4 minutes.
Notes
- Drumsticks variation
- Roast pesto-coated chicken drumsticks at 425°F to 175°F, top with mozzarella and return to the oven 3 minutes.
- Desi twist
- Use our cilantro-mint pesto.
Equipment
- Instant Pot (6 qt), for the Instant Pot method
- Oven-safe 12-inch skillet
- Large pot
- Thermometer