This crock pot recipe for Pesto Mozzarella Chicken Pasta is an absolute crowdpleaser! Super easy to throw together and truly kid-friendly.
Crock Pot Pesto Mozzarella Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb Chicken breasts or tenderloins
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Pepper
- 1 cup Pesto If not using homemade pesto, I love the Alessi Pesto (a jarred version).*
- ¼ cup Non-dairy butter We love the country crock plant-butter or Monty's cultured cashew butter logs!
- ½ Lemon, juiced
Add these items in at the 4 Hour mark:
- 1 lb Rotini, cooked and drained (1 box worth) I used the veggie tri-color rotini in this recipe, but feel free to use a higher protein pasta or GF pasta as well!*
- 2 ½ cup Non-dairy cheeses of choice I love adding Manchego (sheep's cheese), Pecorino Romano (sheep's cheese), Goat's cheddar, or VioLife Just Like Parmesan.*
- ¼ tsp Basil (for garnish)
Instructions
- Start by spraying crock pot with Pam or other non-stick spray.
- Add the chicken to the slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Poke holes in the chicken with a fork and spread the pesto onto the chicken, which helps distribute the flavors better.
- Juice 1/2 of a lemon and pour over the chicken, and cut the butter into slices and lay over the chicken as well.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4-5 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
- At about the 4 hour mark, cook the pasta in salted water, according to the package directions (use the smallest amount of time to avoid overcooking the pasta), and drain well.
- Shred the chicken with 2 forks (in a separate bowl if that's easier!). Add the cooked pasta and cheeses of choice, stirring everything until the pasta is coated with the pesto sauce and the chicken is evenly dispersed throughout the pasta. Cover for about 10-15 more minutes or until the cheese has melted (may take longer for non-dairy cheeses, about 15-20 mins.).
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- I used chicken tenderloins for this recipe, so mine only needed 4 hours to cook; however, if you’re using chicken breasts, it might take the full 5-6 hours.
- I typically add the milder cheeses in higher ratios (1-2 cups) and the stronger cheese in 1/2 cup increments to equal the full amount.
- Here’s the link to the jarred pesto we use too!
- This recipe does freeze well; however, if using GF pasta, it may not have the same texture once thawed.
- If you eat cow’s dairy, use regular cheese instead of the non-dairy or other animal versions. I did give this to my friends who don’t have a dairy allergy, and they couldn’t tell the difference between cheeses. They went back for seconds and thirds! This recipe is a crowd-pleaser.