Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake
This one swaps the usual cream-heavy pasta bake sauce for Greek yogurt and cottage cheese, whisked together off the heat so they stay smooth instead of splitting, and it genuinely doesn’t taste like a compromise.
Pesto goes in off the heat too, right at the end, so it keeps that bright, fresh flavour instead of turning dull and bitter under the grill.
Topped with mozzarella and parmesan and baked until golden, then portioned straight into containers for the week.
Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake Meal Prep
PESTO CHICKEN BAKE · CHICKEN · MEAL PREP · EASY
Creamy, high protein, and freezer friendly
Greek yogurt and cottage cheese stand in for a heavy cream base, whisked together off direct heat so the sauce stays smooth and doesn't split under the pan's heat.
With 60g of protein a serving, this is a proper meal prep option that still eats like a comfort food pasta bake, cheesy top and all.
It holds up well in the freezer too, so you can portion out a full batch and pull servings whenever you need them.
Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake Meal Prep
Ingredients
- 800 g Chicken Breast Diced
- 15 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 Garlic Cloves Minced
- 1 Brown (Yellow) Onion Diced
- 300 g Penne or Rigatoni
- 70 g Basil Pesto
- 250 ml Chicken Stock
- 125 g High Protein Yogurt
- 150 g High Protein Cottage Cheese
- 60 g Mozzarella Cheese
- Parmesan Cheese Grated
- Lemon
- Seasoning & Pepper
Method
- Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta one minute shy of al dente. Drain well and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and sear for 3–4 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, add the onion and cook for 2 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in the chicken stock and simmer for 2 minutes to lift any flavour from the pan.
- Take the pan off the heat, then whisk in the Greek yogurt and cottage cheese until smooth and creamy. Add the lemon juice and season to taste.
- Stir through the pesto off the heat so it stays bright and vibrant.
- Add the cooked pasta and chicken, tossing everything together until well coated in the sauce.
- Transfer to a baking dish or divide into 5 oven safe meal prep containers, top with mozzarella and parmesan, and bake at 200°C / 400°F for 15–20 minutes, or until golden and bubbling on top. Portion, store, serve and dig in.
Why whisk the yogurt and cottage cheese in off the heat?⌄
Both are protein-based dairy and can split or turn grainy if they hit direct heat. Taking the pan off the stove first keeps the sauce smooth.
Can I use regular yogurt or ricotta instead?⌄
Yes, either works. You'll lose some of the protein bump the high protein yogurt and cottage cheese give this version, but the texture and flavour hold up fine.
Why check the bake at 15 minutes instead of the full 20?⌄
The chicken and pasta are already cooked going into the oven, so the bake is really just melting and browning the cheese. Pushing it too long risks drying out the sauce underneath.
Can I use a different pasta shape?⌄
Any short pasta works, ziti, fusilli, shells. Just cook it a minute shy of al dente since it finishes cooking in the oven.
