My basil plants have produces massive quantities of basil leaves this year. Usually I plant three plants, get a few leaves once and make a couple of cups of pesto. This year I decided to plant several plants and get a few more leaves. Instead, my basil plants have produced like never before, leaving me with stacks of fresh basil. Thankfully, everyone in our family likes pesto, Caprese Salad and other dishes with basil, but I was getting tired of the same ideas. When it was time for me to choose the main dish for this month’s meal, Brittany suggested I make a Pesto Chicken Bake. I’m sure she had ulterior motives because she came over the day I made it and had dinner. I used gluten free pasta, but you can substitute regular if you prefer. If you use regular pasta, this dish can be frozen and baked later.
If you are using gluten free pasta, plan on serving the dish immediately. If anyone has found a way to keep gluten free pasta from getting hard when leftovers are put in the fridge, please let me know! Tip: Make sure you have everything ready before you prepare the pasta as directed on the package. I made homemade basil, but you can use a jar of purchased pesto to save time. I wanted to give it a small flavor kick so I added sauteed mushrooms. If you don’t like mushrooms, just leave this out of the dish.
- 2/3 cup homemade pesto or one jar (6 ounces) purchased pesto
- 8 ounces gluten free noodles, cooked as directed on package
- 1 cup cooked chicken, cut into chunks
- 3/4 cup mushrooms, sauteed in a teaspoon EACH butter and garlic
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- To Make Pesto:
- 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup pine nuts OR walnuts
- 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I use about 1/4 teaspoon each)
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Chop garlic leaves on medium setting in blender until finely chopped, 15-30 seconds. Add garlic, olive oil and nuts, blend until mixture is completely mixed. Stir in cheese.
- Mix pasta, pesto, chicken and mushrooms together in an 8″ by 8″ casserole dish until blended. Top with 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese. Cover the casserole with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
This looks great and my daughter is cooking more gluten free so I will share this recipe with her.
This is awesome! My niece is gluten free and my sister in law is always looking for new recipes!
I love anything with pesto and this sounds delicious! It’s great that it’s gluten-free, too!
Thanks for the recipe. I’m always looking for new ways to make chicken for my family for dinner.
I’m glad you’ve gotten so many leaves. They are beautiful and the recipe sounds great!
I could definitely get into a dish like this. That hint of garlic would be really nice. This seems like a great Italian style dish.
What a great idea to plant Basil and even more this year .. I’ve always heard of Pesto but never actually tried it. This Gluten free Pesto Chicken Bake recipe looks so delicious! I will be trying this really soon. Thanks for the amazing beverage recommendation
Interesting tid bit..I never knew that gluten free noodles don’t do well in the fridge.
I have a friend who eats GF all the time..I will ask her to see if she has a tip.
Thanks! We would love to find a way to keep the noodles from getting sticky and mushy.
This looks so amazingly good. My son’s eating issues caused us to change our diet to gluten free and I am always looking for good recipes. You’ve made this look so yummy I can’t help but add it to my list of great one’s to attempt.
I’ve been looking for some new GF recipes. This sounds great and I have a ton of Basil in my garden!
We have a lot of fresh basil from our garden still, and my husband makes so much pesto every fall! I think the chicken dish will be perfect for us.
My husband is not a fan of pesto, but I love it! I keep a decent sized basil plant going so I can make a small batch of pasta with fresh pesto just for me once in while! lol This recipe sounds delicious and I love that it’s gluten free!
Oh my I love a good pasta dish. Not sure i’ve ever eaten pesto but definitely trying this one.
What a great recipe for those looking for more gluten free recipes. Chicken is always a tasty choice for a meal.
What’s your secret to getting lots of basil, may I ask? My plants always end up withering into nothing no matter what I try. I love pesto and would prefer to make my own but I usually end up having to buy the store-based gloop!
I have found the key to getting lots of basil is good soil with adequate drainage, having the plants in sunlight for at least six hours a day, frequent watering and watering the plant at the base of the plant. When I picked up my plants the clerk told me about watering at the bottom because there was some sort of disease killing basil plants in our area when they were watered on the leaves.
Pesto is one of my favorites! I am definitely going to try this 🙂