You will love this quick and fresh soba noodles recipe with basil pesto, shrimp, and cucumber. Made in under 25 minutes! Jump to the Pesto Soba Noodles Recipe or read on to see our tips for making it.

What are Soba Noodles?

If you’re not 100% sure about soba noodles, let’s get that out of the way first. We love them! They are made with buckwheat flour, which makes them taste nutty and also contributes to the brownish color. If you are gluten-free, these are a for you! Check the packaging, though. While you can find 100% buckwheat noodles, some brands still sneak in some wheat.

How to Make Soba Noodles with Pesto and Shrimp

These noodles can be served cold or hot — we’re partial to cold, but that’s just us. Let me show you how simple they are to make.

Let’s talk about the pesto first. You can make it yourself — here’s our homemade pesto recipe. Or, you can buy it from the store. Making it yourself requires few ingredients and takes about 15 minutes.

We stick with basil pesto since we’re feeling the summer vibes lately, but if you are reading this in the fall or winter, why not try swapping out the basil for a winter green — spinach or kale are perfect. Here’s our kale and almond pesto recipe for you to look at, it’s beyond delicious.

Once you’ve got the pesto figured out, the recipe comes together unbelievably fast. I told you that we love soba noodles — they taste great, we love the texture and better yet, they cook quickly! We’re talking 4 to 5 minutes in boiling water and you are done.

When the noodles are cooked, throw them into a colander and rinse with cold water. This stops them from cooking and becoming mushy and gets them ready to toss with the pesto. By the way, if you were planning on serving this dish hot, I’d still rinse with cool water to stop the noodles from overcooking. You just don’t need to rinse until cold.

Cooking the Shrimp

We keep the shrimp really simple — just salt, pepper, olive oil, and fresh lemon. You could toss in some spice with chili flakes or a chili paste, it’s completely up to you. They’ll need about 6 minutes in a hot pan. Or you could roast them — here’s our recipe for easy baked shrimp.

Putting the Dish Together

When you are ready to assemble, grab a big bowl and toss the noodles, some pesto, the shrimp, and some cucumber together. You can simply chop the cucumber or do what we do and make cucumber ribbons.

To make the ribbons, take a vegetable peeler and peel down the cucumber, making a thin ribbon. Some will look perfect, others might tear a bit. Don’t worry, it will still look great when everything is put together. A mandoline slicer works well for this, too.

And that’s it, an easy and fast soba noodles recipe with fresh pesto, shrimp and cucumber ribbons. It’s delicious as-is or you can sneak in a few of your favorite vegetables — zucchini, bell pepper or edamame would be great.

For more easy shrimp recipes, take a look at our Fresh and Easy Shrimp Ceviche with avocado, these Cilantro Lime Butter Shrimp, or our Garlicky Shrimp Scampi (which I love to add to pasta).

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This creamy chicken pasta with pesto is fresh, vibrant, and perfectly comforting. It’s family-friendly, high in protein, satisfying, and everyone at my table gobbled it up (including my 4-year-old).

Jump to: Overview | Ingredients | How To Make | Watch The Video | Recipe Tips |  Serving Suggestions | Full Recipe Card | More Chicken Recipes

This creamy chicken pasta with pesto is something I make often, and it never fails me. It’s got that gorgeous fresh basil flavor from pesto, balanced with a light cream sauce that clings to every bite of tender chicken and penne.

Unlike heavier Alfredo-style pastas, this one feels just right — creamy but not overwhelming. A bit of lemon keeps it bright, and a sprinkle of Parmesan ties it all together.

My kid always asks for seconds, and I secretly love that it packs in protein without feeling too rich. Each serving hits that sweet spot of about 30 grams of protein and enough carbs to keep you full. Honestly, it’s one of those recipes you’ll tuck away and keep coming back to.

You might also like these pasta dishes: creamy Italian sausage pasta, Marry Me chicken orzo bake, chicken pasta Alfredo with broccoli, garlic Parmesan chicken and pasta, lemon chicken orzo pasta, butternut squash pasta, and veggie pasta bake. You may also want to check out these chicken pasta recipes and crock pot Marry Me chicken.

What You’ll Need

Here is what you’ll need for this creamy chicken pasta with pesto recipe. Find the full measurements in the recipe card below.

• Pasta – I like penne pasta, but you could use fusilli or rigatoni — anything that holds sauce nicely.
• Chicken – Boneless chicken breast (you could use boneless thighs if you prefer juicier meat), and you will need salt and pepper for seasoning and a little olive oil for cooking. PS. For a speedy version, slice up some store-bought rotisserie chicken and skip the chicken cooking step altogether!
• Basil pesto – Store-bought basil pesto is fine, but homemade makes it special. If buying store-bought, I highly recommend fresh pesto you would get in the refrigerated section, it’s more pungent and vibrant green.
• Also for creamy pesto sauce – garlic (for that savory backbone), lemon zest and juice (brightens up the cream), chicken stock (adds depth and volume), light cream (or use half-and-half), and Parmesan cheese (for salty, nutty richness).
• To Serve – Cherry tomatoes (I love the pop of color) and extra Parmesan (never too much cheese).

How To Make Creamy Chicken Pasta With Pesto

Find the full recipe and nutritional information below. Here are some handy step-by-step photos for how to make creamy chicken pasta with pesto.

• Cut chicken breasts horizontally for even cooking, season with salt and pepper.
• Sear chicken in olive oil until golden and cooked through, about 5 minutes each side; set aside.
• In parallel, cook pasta until just al dente; set aside.

• In the same pan, add a little extra oil and sauté garlic and lemon zest gently.
• Pour in chicken stock, half the pesto, light cream, lemon juice, and Parmesan.
• Simmer 4–5 minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened.
• Slice chicken, return to pan with juices (you can also pop the chicken on top of the pasta later).
• Stir in cooked pasta and remaining pesto.
• Top with extra pesto, Parmesan, and cherry tomatoes.

Watch The Video

Recipe Tips

• Make it extra creamy: Swap light cream for heavy cream if you want indulgence.
• Protein swap: Try shrimp or rotisserie chicken (this will make things even easier as you won’t need to cook the chicken). If using shrimp/prawns, pan-fry for 2 minutes each side.
• Veg it up: Stir in baby spinach or peas at the end. Try adding some sun-dried tomatoes.
• Pasta water: If your sauce feels too thick, add a splash of pasta cooking water to loosen it.
• Leftover pesto: Freeze in an ice cube tray for quick flavor boosts.
• Storage tips: Leftovers keep well in the fridge up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of stock or cream. I don’t recommend freezing—cream sauces can separate.
• Make-ahead tips: You can cook the chicken and make the sauce a day ahead—just reheat gently before tossing with pasta. Even the pasta can be cooked in advance and lightly oiled to prevent sticking.

Serving Suggestions

I like serving this with a simple side salad or a green salad and maybe a hunk of crusty bread to mop up the sauce. A glass of chilled white wine doesn’t hurt either.

If you’ve tried this creamy chicken pasta with pesto or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and or sign up to my Newsletter to see more of my delicious food.

More Chicken Recipes

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This delicious, healthy Broccoli Soup is thick and creamy without using dairy or coconut cream. Topped with a robust nut and olive pesto, it’s flavoursome and satiating. This soup recipe is gluten-free, paleo Whole30, vegan-friendly, and rich in anti-ageing antioxidants. This post was recently updated!

Healthy Broccoli Soup

I love this broccoli soup for its health benefits AND taste. Made with nutritious vegetables, and lots of healthy fats from olive oil, nuts, and olives, it is very high in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. 

I originally made it as Whole30 and paleo broccoli soup, so I didn’t use any dairy or flour to thicken it. I also didn’t want the coconut flavour, so I avoided using coconut milk or cream. So what makes it thick and creamy?

Well, the hack is using some white potatoes. The starch in the potato is great for both thickening and making this soup more satiating. It adds that velvety, thick texture. If avoiding nightshades, feel free to use sweet potato or swedes/rutabaga instead. Are Potatoes Paleo? An In-Depth Analysis

This soup is quite satiating and can be served as a main dish. And, with only about 25-28 grams of net carbohydrates per serving, it will suit those following a low-carb or carb-restricted diet, plus it’s gluten-free and vegan-friendly!  

PS. If you want another dairy-free, gluten-free veggies soup, I have recently been obsessed with this curried broccoli cauliflower soup from Salted Plains. Or you can check out these other fall soup recipes.

Olive Pesto

To go with the soup, I made a nut and olive pesto. It’s similar to an olive tapenade – nutty, salty, garlicky with a note of bitterness. While the soup is tasty as is, I use this pesto as a bit of condiment or topping. It adds a more intense and interesting flavour and some crunchy texture.

These toppings would also work well instead of the pesto: crispy bacon bits, fried shallots, shredded chicken or diced smoked chicken, sun-dried tomato pesto or basil pesto.

Nutrition Notes

For a vegetarian dish, it’s very nutrient-dense. I call it an anti-ageing soup with high amounts of antioxidants (vitamins C and E, zinc and selenium, indoles, and allium sulphur compounds). 

It’s also rich in vitamin K, which you need for bone health and blood clotting, and many essential minerals. Protein is decent with 8 grams per serving thanks to the nuts pesto, and you’ll be getting plenty of fibre, too. 

This healthy broccoli soup is paleo, gluten-free, Whole30, vegetarian and vegan-friendly. 

Nutrition Macros Per serving (with olive pesto): 365 calories, 35 g total carbs, 7.5 g fibre (28.5 g net carbs), 8 g protein, 24.7 g fat.

More Healthy Broccoli Recipes

How To Make Healthy Broccoli Soup

Find the full list of ingredients, instructions and extra cooking notes below. If you have questions or cook this recipe, please let me know in the comments and make sure to rate this recipe so it’s easy for others to find.

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This extra-flavorful Chicken Pesto Soup has the comfort food appeal that makes chicken soup such a popular dish, plus pesto and lemon juice! And you can make this fun soup with chicken and pesto in the Instant Pot or on the stove!

PIN the Chicken Pesto Soup recipe to make it later!

Chicken Pesto Soup is a recipe I came up with when I was experimenting with a chicken soup with cauliflower rice! And I do know how people love chicken with pesto. So knowing the popularity of that combination probably influenced the impulse to add pesto to this tasty soup.

And the chicken soup with pesto and lemon was really a wow for me! I made this soup in the Instant Pot, which was quick and easy. But you can easily make it on the stove, and I’ll give instructions for that. No matter which version you prefer, I hope you make this interesting soup right away!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe with ingredient amounts.)

What pesto did I use for Chicken Pesto Soup?

I always use my Basil Pesto with Lemon if I have some in the fridge or freezer. But when I don’t have homemade pesto I love the Kirkland Basil Pesto (affiliate link) that’s sold at Costco or on Amazon.com.

How to make soup with pesto and keep the pot clean:

This is a simple recipe, but I want to give you one caution: Be sure to turn off the heat when you stir the pesto into the hot soup. If you add pesto and let the soup sit with the Instant Pot (or stove) still turned on, you’ll have melted cheese on the pot that will be a pain to scrub off. (I learned that the hard way, although it didn’t stop me from really enjoying the soup!) Another option to keep your Instant Pot or soup pot as clean as possible is stirring some pesto into each bowl of soup when you serve it

How low in carbs is this Chicken Pesto Soup?

This fun variation for chicken soup only has 5 net carbs and 22 grams of protein per serving!

Love your Instant Pot?

I use a 6 Quart Instant Pot for all my recipes made in the Instant Pot. Check out my growing collection of Instant Pot Recipes! 

How to make Chicken Pesto Soup:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. Take cauliflower rice out of the freezer and let it start to thaw.
2. Trim chicken breasts and cut lengthwise.
3. Finely chop onion, celery, and carrots.
4. Turn Instant Pot to SAUTE, HIGH HEAT, and melt butter; then add onion, carrots, and celery and cook 2-3 minutes.
5. Add Italian Herb Seasoning, sage, ground thyme, salt, and fresh-ground black pepper and cook a minute more.
6. Add chicken broth or stock, chicken breast strips, and soup base. 
7. Lock the lid and set Instant Pot to MANUAL, HIGH, 6 minutes.
8. Let Instant Pot natural release 10 minutes; then release the rest of the pressure.
9. Remove cooked chicken pieces to cutting board.
10. Turn Instant Pot to SAUTE, LOW and add frozen cauliflower rice.
11. While cauliflower rice cooks, shred chicken apart. 
12. After cauliflower rice has cooked about 5 minutes, add shredded chicken to the soup and cook about 3 minutes more.
13. Turn off the Instant Pot and stir in basil pesto and lemon juice.
14. Serve the Chicken Pesto Soup right away and enjoy! We served this with more Parmesan cheese to add at the table.
15. See the complete recipe below to find stovetop instructions for this recipe.

Make it a Low-Carb Meal:

One of these low-carb breads or muffins would taste great with the Chicken Pesto Soup:

Want More Low-Carb Instant Pot Soups?

Check out Low-Carb and Keto Instant Pot Soups for lots more tasty soup ideas.

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Chicken Pesto Soup is a good dinner option for any low-carb diet, including Keto. It’s also great for any phase of the original South Beach Diet.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Instant Pot Recipes to find more soups like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This tasty soup with chicken and pesto was first posted in 2021. The recipe was last updated with more information in 2026.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Easy Baked Pesto Chicken is a tasty dinner to make with purchased pesto, or use homemade pesto if you have some! And this easy five-ingredient low-carb baked chicken recipe is probably something the whole family will enjoy!

Pin Easy Baked Pesto Chicken to try it later!

When I first made Easy Baked Pesto Chicken, I loved what a flavorful dinner it was. But I didn’t realize it would become one of the most popular recipes on the blog. Now it’s been pinned millions of times and visited over and over on my website! And I’ve made this many times myself.

I got the inspiration for a Baked Pesto Chicken recipe years ago when I was browsing in The South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook. That was in the summer, and when it’s summer at my house there’s fresh basil on the counter, I’m freezing basil for winter, and I’m making Basil Pesto with Lemon. So it’s not surprising that a recipe using pesto would catch my eye.

But this recipe is also great with purchased pesto. I’m a fan of Kirkland Basil Pesto, so that’s what I’d use if I don’t have homemade pesto in the freezer. I hope you try the recipe if you’re also a pesto fan!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.

• boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• salt and fresh ground black pepper for seasoning chicken
• Basil Pesto (affiliate link), or Basil Pesto with Lemon
• grated Mozzarella cheese

Is this baked chicken with pesto a kid-friendly dish?

A few years after I posted this recipe I started working out with a trainer named Wendy. Then one day she told me she had searched the recipe for her kids’ favorite chicken dish, and it was this recipe from my blog! So if you’re wondering if this can be kid-friendly, Wendy says her kids love this Baked Pesto Chicken. Wendy serves it with pasta for the kids, but I’d serve with one of the options below for a tasty low-carb meal.

Can you make Baked Pesto Chicken with pesto from the store?

You can certainly make this ultra-easy main dish with purchased basil pesto, which is what the inspiring recipe called for. But when I have some on hand, I’d always make it with my homemade pesto from the freezer.

How low in carbs is the Easy Baked Pesto Chicken?

This flavorful chicken dish only has 3 net carbs per serving, with 48 grams of protein! And this tasty chicken dish is also gluten-free.

How to Make Easy Baked Pesto Chicken:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. Trim chicken breasts and cut into lengthwise strips. (I save scraps in the freezer and use them to make homemade chicken stock.)
2. Spray casserole dish with non-stick spray, then spread 1/4 cup basil pesto over the bottom of the dish.
3. Lay chicken strips over the pesto and season with salt and fresh ground black pepper.
4. Spread another 1/4 cup of basil pesto over chicken strips.
5. Cover dish with foil and bake at 375F/190C for 25-30 minutes, or until the chicken is barely cooked through. (Don’t cook too long at this stage, or the chicken will be overcooked when the cheese is melted.)
6. Then sprinkle 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese (or a little more) over the top and bake about 5 minutes more, or until cheese is melted. (If your broiler is separate from the oven, start preheating it.)
7. I wanted the cheese to be lightly browned, so after 5 minutes I switched to broil for just long enough to get some color on the cheese.
8. That’s all there is to making this easy and delicious low-carb chicken dinner!
9. Serve Easy Baked Pesto Chicken hot, and I hope this will become a favorite in your household!

Make it a Low-Carb Meal:

Baked Pesto Chicken would be delicious with either Pureed Cauliflower with Garlic, Parmesan, and Goat Cheese or Easy Cauliflower Rice to smother with the flavorful sauce that will be left in the dish. (It would also be amazing with Greek Lemon Rice if you don’t mind having more carbs!)

Or serve with one of these low-carb side dishes:

Want more low-carb dinners with pesto?

If you still have more basil pesto after you make this, check out my other Amazing Recipes with Pesto!

Weekend Food Prep:

This recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week! This recipe can easily be doubled if you want leftovers to reheat later.

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This Baked Pesto Chicken would be great for low-carb and Keto diets. If you use low-fat Mozzarella, it could work for any phase of the original South Beach Diet. For low-carb eating plans, full-fat Mozzarella would be preferred.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Casserole Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This popular recipe was first posted in 2010 (probably with a photo that would make me shudder if I saw it now.) The recipe was updated in 2022 and last updated with more information in 2026.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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