Grilled chicken and asparagus pesto pasta is the perfect combination of chicken, asparagus, pasta, and pesto that is topped with parmesan cheese and cashew pieces. You will love how quickly this comes together for a quick meal any night of the week. Chicken Pesto Pasta was my go-to dinner for quite a while, once I discovered how easy and delicious it was, I was hooked.

Grilled Chicken and Asparagus Pesto Pasta

With summer quickly approaching I am gearing up with all kinds of easy dishes that don’t require me to turn on the oven that is quick and easy with limited cleanup. Some of our favorites of the season are Santa Fe Chicken Foil Packets, Guacamole salad, and of course this grilled chicken and asparagus pesto pasta.

You will love how easy this chicken pesto pasta is to make! It has limited ingredients, most of which you can always keep on hand, and it is one of those meals you can make ahead of time and serve as a cold salad. Plus it is ready to enjoy in only 30 minutes!

How to make Grilled chicken and asparagus pesto pasta

Cook the pasta al dente, drain and put into a large serving bowl.
Pre heat the grill to medium-high heat.
Prepare the chicken by coating with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Grill for about 6-10 minutes or until fully cooked.

One the other side of the grill line with foil and place oiled asparagus spears and grill for about 2 minutes then flip and grill for another 1-2 minutes.
Remove asparagus spears and chop into about 2 inch sections.

In the large serving bowl with the pasta add in chopped chicken and asparagus and toss to combine. Next add in lemon juice, pesto, cashews and shredded Parmesan cheese. Season with extra salt and pepper to taste. Toss it all together until pasta and ingredients are fully coated.

Tips Tricks and FAQs

This salad can be served both warm or cold.
Feel free to add in other vegetables! Tomatoes are a great addition as well as broccoli, snap peas, or frozen peas. If adding tomatoes toss these in right before serving.
If you are short on time, you can add pieces of a rotisserie chicken rather than grilling the chicken.
If you prefer you can omit the asparagus.
You can test out different types of noodles. I usually opt for noodles that are bite-sized that require no cutting when you are eating.

Storage

You will want to store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Make Ahead

You can easily make this dish ahead of time. There are many days where I make it in the morning and then serve it that night for dinner. Just be sure to keep it covered and refrigerated.

Can I eat this cold?

Yes! This dish you can enjoy both warm and cold.

Grilled Chicken And Asparagus Pesto Pasta

Ingredients

1 pound boneless chicken breasts
1 pound of asparagus ends trimmed
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 16 oz box of rotini pasta
Olive oil, kosher salt and fresh black pepper to your taste
1/2 cup pesto
1 TBSP lemon juice
3 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese
3 TBSP cashew pieces
Chopped basil and parmesan to garnish (Optional)

Instructions

Cook the pasta al dente, drain and put into a large serving bowl.
Pre heat the grill to medium-high heat.
Prepare the chicken by coating with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Grill for about 6-10 minutes or until fully cooked.
One the other side of the grill line with foil and place oiled asparagus spears and grill for about 2 minutes then flip and grill for another 1-2 minutes.
Remove asparagus spears and chop into about 2 inch sections.
In the large serving bowl with the pasta add in chopped chicken and asparagus and toss to combine. Next add in lemon juice, pesto, cashews and shredded Parmesan cheese. Season with extra salt and pepper to taste. Toss it all together until pasta and ingredients are fully coated.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 517Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 86mgSodium: 373mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 4gSugar: 2gProtein: 41g