Chicken Pesto Pasta in Creamy White Wine Sauce

Chicken Pesto Pasta in Creamy White Wine Sauce is the dinner that shows up on repeat in my house, and nobody has ever once complained about it. 🍝 Chicken and mushrooms get seared until golden, then everything gets tossed together in a pesto and white wine sauce built in the very same skillet. It tastes like something you'd order at a little Italian place with white tablecloths, but the whole thing comes together in under 30 minutes.

📝 Chicken Pesto Pasta Snapshot

✅ Prep Time: 10 minutes
⏲️ Cook Time: 20 minutes
🍽️ Serves: 4
💰 Cost: ~$14 total (about $3.50 per serving)
👨‍🍳 Skill Level: Easy
🍷 Wine Used: Pinot Grigio (dry white)
📦 Equipment: Large skillet, pasta pot, tongs

This one-skillet pasta uses seared chicken and mushrooms, a jar of good pesto, and a splash of dry white wine to build a sauce that tastes far fancier than the 30 minutes it takes to make it. 🧄🍄

💬 Why You'll Love This Pesto Chicken Pasta

• Tastes like a restaurant dish but comes together in one skillet on a weeknight 🍷
• No fussy technique - just sear, simmer, toss ✅
• Great for guests, but easy enough for a Tuesday 🎉
• Pesto is the main driver of flavor, so the ingredient list stays short 🌿
• Leftovers reheat well with a splash of broth 🍲

If I hadn't already had a jar of pesto sitting in my fridge from another recipe, I probably would have swapped it for jarred Alfredo and called it a day. But pesto is what makes this dish taste like it took real effort, when really it's just garlic, mushrooms and a good sear doing most of the work. 🧑‍🍳

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Fettuccine: Long ribbon pasta holds the sauce beautifully. Linguine, pappardelle or tagliatelle are all good substitutes, and penne works in a pinch if that's what's in your pantry.
• Chicken breasts: I use thin-cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders, cut into 1-inch chunks. If you only have thick breasts, slice them in half horizontally so they cook through quickly and evenly.
• White mushrooms: Thickly sliced so they hold their shape and don't turn mushy. Cremini mushrooms work here too if that's what you have.
• Italian seasoning: A blend of thyme, oregano and basil. I season the chicken, the mushrooms and the sauce with it, so the flavor builds in layers instead of sitting on top.
• Garlic: Fresh cloves, minced. This is where a lot of the savory depth comes from, so don't skip it for the jarred stuff if you can help it.
• Red pepper flakes: Just an ⅛ teaspoon, but it rounds out the pesto and gives the sauce a little background warmth.
• White wine: I always use Pinot Grigio because it's dry and doesn't compete with the pesto. Riesling or Chardonnay will work too if that's what's open in your fridge. Curious what other Italian wines you can use? I get into that in my guide to cooking with wine for Italian food.
• Chicken broth: Look for a low-sodium option so you can control the salt level once the Parmesan goes in.
• Basil pesto: Homemade or a good jarred version both work. I buy a small 7-ounce jar and use a little more than half of it - about 4 ounces, or ½ cup - so I'm not stuck with a half-used jar going bad in the fridge.
• Parmesan cheese: Shredded, not the shelf-stable kind in a can. Cheese with anti-caking additives can clump instead of melting smoothly into the sauce.

How to Make Chicken Pesto Pasta

1. Sear the chicken. Heat 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken chunks right in the pan with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning, and cook about 4 minutes on the first side, then 2 minutes on the other. Work in two batches so the pan doesn't get crowded - crowding steams the chicken instead of browning it. Set the chicken aside after each round.
2. Cook the mushrooms. Add the second tablespoon each of olive oil and butter to the same skillet. Once hot, add the mushrooms, season them, and let them sit undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes so they release their liquid and soften. Pressing down with a spatula speeds this along. Flip and cook another 1 to 2 minutes, then remove from the pan.
3. Build the sauce. In the same skillet, cook the minced garlic for about a minute until fragrant. Add the Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and white wine, and let it simmer for 2 minutes to reduce slightly. Stir in the pesto and chicken broth, and cook another 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce thickens up. Lower the heat, add salt, and stir in the Parmesan a little at a time until it melts in smoothly.
4. Cook the pasta. While the sauce comes together, boil the fettuccine in well-salted water according to the package directions. Drain it, but don't rinse - you want that starch clinging to the noodles so the sauce sticks.
5. Bring it together. Toss the pasta into the skillet with the sauce until every strand is coated. Add the chicken and mushrooms back in, mix everything together, and taste for salt. Finish with a scatter of fresh basil.

FAQs

Can I use a different vegetable instead of mushrooms?

Yes. If the flavor of mushrooms works for you but the texture doesn't, mushroom powder stirred into the sauce keeps that savory note. Sliced zucchini is a good swap if you want something with more bite, and a few readers have doubled up on mushrooms and added broccoli with good results.

What white wine should I use?

Pinot Grigio is my go-to because it's dry and doesn't fight with the pesto's flavor. Riesling and Chardonnay both work as substitutes if that's what you already have open.

Can I make this without wine?

Yes. Replace the wine with an equal amount of chicken broth and add a squeeze of lemon juice for the acidity the wine would otherwise bring.

What's the best pasta shape for this dish?

Long ribbon pasta like fettuccine, linguine, pappardelle or tagliatelle holds the sauce well and looks great on the plate. Penne is my favorite substitute because the sauce gets stuck on those ridges perfectly. Explore more on Types of Pasta Shapes and When to Use Each.