This Slow Cooker Pesto Mozzarella Chicken Pasta recipe is a perfect, easy dish that cooks itself while you’re busy with other things. It’s made in the slow cooker and it takes less than five minutes to assemble before you leave for work. You’ll come home to dinner waiting!
Why this recipe works
This meal is a perfect, easy dish that cooks itself while you’re busy with other things. It’s made in the crockpot and it takes less than five minutes to assemble before you leave for work. The chicken, pesto, and lemon cook while you are away, then cooked pasta and mozzarella cheese are added before serving.
How to Make Easy Pesto Chicken Pasta
Since there’s no cooking on your part at all, once the chicken and pesto are in the slow cooker, it’s a great recipe to have on hand during busy weeks. Just add cooked pasta and mozzarella and you have a delicious dinner that tastes like you’ve been cooking for hours.
Ingredients
- Boneless Skinless Chicken breasts – season genoursly with salt and pepper
- Pesto– I use a jar of Classico Traditional Basil Pesto. This ends up being about a cup of pesto.
- Salted butter – no need to melt, just slice it!
- Lemon – use a half of a large lemon. Do not use jarred lemon juice for this meal.
- Rotini Pasta cooked to al dente and drained – DO NOT ADD THIS UNTIL THE CHICKEN IS DONE COOKING
- Grated Parmesan – Mix this in with the pasta and chicken.
- Shredded mozzarella – Sprinkle this on top of the dish and let melt.
- Dried basil – for garnish
Step by Step Directions
Step 1 – Add the chicken and top with salt and pepper.
Step 2 – Smear over the pesto over the chicken.
Step 3 – Squeeze over the lemon juice.
Step 4– Slice the butter and add on top.
Step 5 – Place the lid on the slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 5-6 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time
Step 6 – Shred the chicken right in the slow cooker with 2 forks.
Step 7– Add the cooked and drained pasta and the parmesan cheese, stir.
Step 8 – Sprinkle over the mozzarella cheese. Place the lid back on the slow cooker for 15 minutes more or until the cheese melts.
Recipes FAQs and Variations
The butter really flavors the dish and makes it decadent. Though if you want you can use a 1/2 cup of chicken broth instead of butter if desired.
I use chicken breasts for this dish but you could also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer dark meat or if budget is an issue. You’ll just need to make sure your thighs cook long enough so they’re tender and not tough.
Use the correct amount of water (see your pasta box) and make sure it’s boiling before adding the pasta. Stir the pasta gently into the water. Cook to al dente. Drain your pasta in a colander and add to the recipe.
Use a jar of sun-dried tomato pesto instead of basil pesto for a change
Add sliced mushrooms for added texture.
Change the pasta shape; you can use any hearty pasta shape such as bow-tie pasta or penne.
Want to make more magic in your crockpot? Please stay up to date, subscribe to my newsletter, and follow along on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube.
Slow Cooker Pesto Mozzarella Pasta
Equipment Needed:
- Slow Cooker- 6 quart or larger
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts (1.5-2 pounds works fine, 3 chicken breasts)
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 8.1 oz. jarred pesto I used Classico (be sure to look at the ingredients if you have anyone allergic to nuts)
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 1/2 lemon
These items don’t get added until the end
- 1 lb. dried rotini pasta (cooked and drained, see directions for more info)
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan (I use the powdery shake bottle type)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 1/4 tsp. dried basil to garnish
Instructions:
- Add the chicken to the slow cooker. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Spread over the pesto, squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken. Cut the butter into slices and lay over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
- Near the end of the cooking time, cook the pasta according to the package directions and drain well.
- Shred the chicken with 2 forks. Add the cooked pasta and the parmesan cheese, stir everything until the pasta is coated with the buttery pesto sauce and the chicken is evenly dispersed throughout the pasta. Add the mozzarella cheese over the pasta. Cover for about 15 more minutes or until the cheese has melted.
- Serve and enjoy!
How to Video:
Recipe Notes:
- Use a jar of sun-dried tomato pesto instead of basil pesto for a change
- Add sliced mushrooms for added texture.
- Change the pasta shape; you can use any hearty pasta shape such as bow-tie pasta or penne.
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
I absolutely love this recipe and we make it often. How can I make this in my Instant pot?
Slowcooker newbie here. Got kinda tired of all the BBQ recipes and thankfully youtube recommended me your video. Just made it with Saclas reduced fat pesto, used a bit more chicken and cheese and it came out absolutely delicious 🙂
Yeah mozz clumps with pasta, but I actually like it that way.
Thank you for the recipe, ill definitely try more of yours!
i have a 3 to a 4 qt slow cooker, what should i do to adjust the ingredients.
You will probably have to cut the recipe in half.
Love this Pesto Chicken recipe! Its awesome, easy, delicious and pretty cheap!
Can this be done on high of I’m short on time?
Yes, should do fine.
I love this recipe. I added mushrooms to it and have made it several times !
When did you add the mushrooms? At the end?
Can leftovers be frozen?
Yes, they will do fine.
We love this recipe. I add a generous spoon of Itilian seasoning.
This is a new family favorite
Quick, delicious and easy meal. My only complaint is that the chicken and cheese clumps together and does not mix into noodles well. I would suggest maybe making a cheese sauce to add so it has more of a liquid consistency to add with pesto and chicken.
I agree with the cheese comment. I used Belgioiodo mozzarella and it seemed to blend better. It looks like a ball of cheese. Also put a small amount of Alfredo sauce so that it would look so dry.
It’s delicious.
This sounds like it is very delicious! I like cooking the pasta along with the meat sauce, do that with spaghetti sauce a lot. This makes the pasta more flavorful. Do you have some idea how to cook the pasta along with the chicken in this recipe?
How long do I cook it on high?
I would do 3.5-4 hours
So easy and so delicious! For those asking if you can use frozen chicken breasts, I used two big frozen breasts on low for 5 1/2 hours and it turns out great. I made a few additions. I sliced up two onions and put them on the bottom of the crock pot to soak up all that good chicken stock and add some antioxidants to the meal. I also realized right when it was time to assemble the dish that we were out of mozzarella, so I subbed in two extra cups of freshly shredded parmesan and it still turned out great.
Zucchini noodles work instead of pasta noodles for diabetics??
This was awful. The cheese just clumped the chicken together and it was like chunky cheesy chicken and pesto flavored noodles. Threw the whole thing out.
I suggest using shredded mozzarella if you didn’t the first time and adding some chicken broth.