This easy crock pot recipe features basil pesto, chicken, fresh garden vegetables, and chicken. Serve it with pasta for a healthy and tasty dinner that takes just minutes to prepare.
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In my life before kids, I worked in a corporate office in the business world. Now I work from home. I don’t miss sitting in an office all day, but I do miss my colleagues… and the catered lunches.
It’s one of life’s little luxuries to have lunch made by someone else!
My favorite meals were from a local Italian restaurant. The simple but delicious menu featured ciabatta bread sandwiches with trays of roasted Italian vegetables.
The vegetables, oh the vegetables! There were peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, and mushroom roasted with a bit of olive oil and basil. The flavors were amazing, I’m still dreaming about them 10 years later!
Roast Vegetables in the Crock Pot
I’ve recreated the Italian vegetables with basil flavor in this easy crock pot meal featuring chicken and pasta. You simply add chicken, pesto, and vegetables and toss in pasta before serving.
The secret to this tasty recipe is in the layering of ingredients so the vegetables don’t turn to mush.
- The chicken is at the bottom of the crock pot where it gets the most cooking heat followed by the onions and then the rest of the more tender vegetables.
- Keeping the squash, peppers and mushrooms on the top means they get steamed, but not cooked to death.
- If your family loves al dente or tender-crisp vegetables, add them to the slow cooker about an hour before you serve dinner. (This gives me enough time to set the table and make the pasta!)
Throw and Go Crock Pot Recipes
I affectionately refer to this type of crock pot recipe as throw and go (I’ve also heard them called dump and go, but I don’t love that imagery).
These recipes require no browning and no sauteing… you simply add the ingredients to the slow cooker and forget about it until dinner.
I boil whole rotini noodles to serve with the chicken and vegetables after we get home from carpool and sports practice then toss the noodles with a bit of remaining pesto, toss in the vegetables, top with sliced chicken, and you have the perfect dinner.
Go crazy and top it with some grated parmesan, you have my permission!
Chicken Pesto Pasta Easy Crockpot Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 420 minutes
- Total Time: 425 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Crock-Pot
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
This throw & go crock pot recipe features basil pesto, chicken, garden fresh vegetables, and chicken. Serve it with pasta for a healthy and tasty dinner that takes just minutes to prepare.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp olive oil (optional, use to grease inside of slow cooker for easier cleanup)
Season the Chicken Breasts
- 4 chicken breasts (thawed)
- 1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning (dried)
- 1/2–3/4 cup basil pesto
Layer Vegetables on Top
- 1.5 cups zucchini (cut into 1/2 inch slices)
- 1 cup yellow squash (cut into 1/2 inch slices)
- 1 cup grape tomatoes (halved)
- 1 cup red onion (about 1 small, cut into 1 inch slices)
- 1 green pepper (cut into 1 inch slices)
- 1 yellow peppers (cut into 1 inch slices)
- 8 ounces white mushrooms (quartered)
Serve Over Pasta
- 1 lb whole wheat rotini
Garnish
- 4 T – 1/2 cup pesto
- grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Rub inside of 3- to 4-quart slow cooker with olive oil to make clean up easier (optional).
Season the Chicken Breasts
- Arrange chicken in bottom of slow cooker. Sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Top one side of each chicken breast with 1 tablespoon of basil pesto. Spread with back of spoon to coat.
Layer Vegetables on Top
- Thickly slice all vegetables so they cook slowly. Top seasoned chicken with onions.
- Layer vegetables on top of onions. (If you like your vegetables crisper, add the onions then add the rest of the vegetables later in the cooking process., about one hour before serving.)
- Cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours.*
Serve Over Pasta
- Cook noodles according to package directions (in pan on the stove top) and drain.
- While the noodles are cooking, check to make sure the chicken in done. (There should be no visible pink, internal temperature should be 165° Fahrenheit/75° Celsius.) Turn the crock pot to “warm” setting.
- Turn off crock pot and remove chicken, slice into 1/2 inch slices.
- Drain extra liquid in crock pot off of the vegetables and discard.
- Toss vegetables, pasta, with the remaining pesto (4 tbsp-1/2 cup), and grated parmesan cheese (optional). (I combine everything in the crock pot that is turned off.)
- Serve chicken on a bed of noodles and vegetables. (Serve with extra pesto and grated Parmesan cheese if desired.)
Notes
*Add your vegetables about 1 hour before serving if you prefer al dente veggies.
*Slow cooker tends to cook at a slightly different speed. Watch new recipes closely the first time to find out exactly how long they take to cook to your liking. Adjust time for your slow cooker.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 750
Keywords: slow cooker, chicken pesto pasta, pesto chicken
More Easy Crock Pot Recipes
I love crock pot dinners that require little to no prep. They are perfect for busy days and help keep healthy eating on track. Try these other easy crock pot recipes that are sure to become family favorites:
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Kathleen Bolton
I’d like to make this but I don’t have a crock pot/ slow cooker.
How would I do this in the oven, please? Thanks a lot
★★★★★
Bren
Kathleen, you can layer the ingredients as directed in a greased dutch oven, cover and cook at 350 for 30-45 minutes then check to make sure the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165° F.
r
Will frozen chicken breasts work ? If yes, on what settings ? High/low for howlong ? Thanks
Bren
I’ve never made it with frozen chicken, if you want to try I would start with 4 hours on high then check to see if the chicken in done.
Erica
I have made this several times and I actually like the “mushiness” factor..:I call it “stewed chicken,” every body lighten up! It’s just chicken! I appreciate you sharing recipes and putting yourself out there Bren. Ps I add the veggies layer so they are less mushy.
★★★★
Erica
Add veggies *later, and give them only an hour to cook …sorry about the typo
Bren
Thanks, Erica! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Mary
4 hrs on low was spot on for my chicken. Used fresh homemade pesto both in the crockpot and on the side. Not as flavorful as I’d hoped, will tweak my pesto and play with more herbs.
★★★
Bren
Thanks for sharing your results, Mary!
Libby
Hi Bren,
I have a jar of pesto I’m trying to use up and a fresh zucchini from the garden, so this looks like the perfect recipe to try this week! One quick question though–my fiance can’t stand onions (so I sadly have to forgo them in most recipes) but it sounds like they’re used in this recipe to prop up the other veggies off of the chicken and keep them from overcooking and getting mushy. If I go without the onions, do you think I should add another similar vegetable to help separate the layers in the crock pot? Any suggestions?
Thanks for sharing this great, easy recipe!
Bren
I would put a “tougher” vegetable on top of the chicken to pop up the other vegetables or simply add the vegetables later in the cooking time. Hope you enjoy!
Angie
Tried this recipe today. It turned out great. I have a fast cooking crock, so I cooked on low for about 4 hours and it was done. Served it with microwavable brown rice instead of pasta just to limit the amount of ‘cooking’ that I needed to do. 😉
Bren
I’m s glad you enjoyed the recipe! The brown rice sounds great too.
Lisa
Love love love this recipe… considered trying hummus instead of pesto think it would work?
Bren
Hmmm, I’m not sure how it would work, I’ve never cooked with hummus. I think a vinaigrette dressing might work better to give the chicken/vegetables an herb flavor.
Law
Wasn’t able to cook in the crock Pot because I woke up late. lol…. I grilled the chicken first then baked all the ingredients with the grilled chicken in the oven and let me tell you it was the bomb.com! FYI, my daughter is deadly allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. Pine nuts are NOT a peanut or tree nut,it’s a seed. Totally safe for her to eat. Thanks for the recipe. Keep them coming!
Bren
I’m so glad to hear that you loved the recipe! Thanks for the information on pine nuts, I had no idea!
Gloria
Could frozen veggies work with this recipie?
Bren
You could but they might get mushy cooking for a long time in the crock pot. I would probably just heat them in the microwave and add to the crockpot in the last few minutes.
Meg
Thanks! This was my question too. I can’t wait to try this!
Bren
Hope you enjoy!
Stephanie Wilhelm
I was looking for nutritional value on this recipe! Any help on that ..or at least on calories?? I just made this for my family KID APPROVED!!! Only thing I did different was added graded parmesan cheese and they loved that …I also was wondering what you did to the pesto ? Did you add it straight from jar or mix with something?! Great meal can’t wait till we have this again…Next Instead of the pasta I am going to try Spaghetti Squash =)
Bren
It’s about 383-430 calories if you divide it into 8 servings (depending on the calories in the pesto you use, mine is 130 calories an ounce). I add the pesto straight from the jar, some to the top of the chicken and some mixed into to cooked noodles. The Parmesan sounds great!
Cassie
I’m making this dish for the first time. Do you toss the Noodles in the pesto too? Maybe I’m step 7 with the veggies?
It’s about to come out of the crockpot. I’m excited to try something different. We mostly have Mexican dishes with chicken in the crockpot.
Bren
Cook the noodles and then toss them with the vegetables just before serving. You can add extra pesto to the noodles if desire, my people love pesto so I add a bit extra. Hope you enjoy!