Pesto Chicken Penne Casserole

Fantastic! Made it exactly as written and my whole family was delighted. As is often the case with pasta, the flavors "married" overnight and the leftovers rocked! I am pleading with those of you who feel compelled to give a negative rating to a recipe you've never tried to please resist the urge. If you read the ingredients and decide it is not for you because of calories, salt, fat, or whatever, why are you even reading the reviews and adding your opinion? The rest of us are not interested in your lecture, but rather the experiences of those who have actually made the recipe.

This was a very simple and tasty dish. I only made two small changes. I halved the pesto because the pesto at my store comes in 7oz containers and most people said they halved it anyway. I also used diced tomatoes, but that's only because I grabbed the wrong can and didn't notice until I had already poured it in the bowl. I don't know what it tastes like with all 15oz of pesto and crushed tomatoes but it was just fine with only 7oz of pesto and diced tomatoes. Also, this dish was very big. I had to pour it into a 9x13 casserole dish AND an 8x10 casserole dish. I had a party with 10 people and the 8x10 went untouched and there was about 1 serving left in the 9x13. If you're making this for a family of 4 or 5 you will definitely want to halve the recipe. I didn't give it five stars because it didn't "Wow Me!". It was very good and I'll definitely make it again!

Great family meal! I have made this dish three times in the last month, and the beauty of it is that you can "tweak" it every time and it's still delish! The first time I made it, I subbed tomato paste for crushed tomatoes as had an open can in the fridge--family loved it! Second time, used diced tomatoes and different cheese--another hit! Tonight, I actually used crushed tomatoes, but for the cheese I used a combo of mozarella, provolone, guida and parmesan, and added a little more spinach--family again fell all over themselves getting seconds! The only thing I've done consistently is halve the recipe, because it does make alot! And, I make my own pesto in the summer and freeze it in golf-ball size servings-and one of them seems to be just perfect. My family thanks you for posting such a great, pantry-adaptable recipe!!!

I loved this! but i think there is too much pesto it was a little bit strong, and i added extra cheese on top before i added the crust topping, it was amazing!

This was great. I used fresh tomatoes instead of crushed, and I did not use the afrado sauce. I recommend this recipe to anyone.

I don't even have this in the oven yet and I'm giving it 5 stars. Have you ever seen 'What About Bob'? The scene where he is having dinner with his doctor and the doctor's family - that was me preparing this. SO GOOD. Tweaks - I halved the pesto, used diced tomatoes, omitted the spinach (didn't have any) & seasoned the chicken a bit. I did it all in one pan on the stove top with the exception of the bread crumb mixture, obviously. Poured it in the 9x13 pan, topped with the crumb mixture & popped it in the oven. It smells divine, too. Can't wait to get my eat on. This is not at all healthy - but outstanding. Thank you so much.

We've been making this for a few years now, usually when we're expecting a crowd because this does make ALOT. We've since modified it to: reducing the pesto (we always have homemade in the freezer) & the shredded Italian cheeses by half, substituting spaghetti or marinara (again, homemade) sauce for the tomatoes (if we have some leftover, otherwise we've also used fresh - roasted or not - tomatoes with success, much better than canned) & we use the spinach if we remember to buy it, leave it out if we forget, never used the breadcrumbs - either way it's always a satisfying & relatively easy crowd pleaser - with or without the chicken even!!!***(Oh & I forgot to mention that we almost always include sauteed zucchini, yellow squash and/or mushrooms)***

Loved this pasta dish. It is nice and creamy and makes a lot. My 13 x 9 pan was filled to the brim. The only change I made was to use mini penne pasta because that is what I had on hand. The pesto, Alfredo and crushed tomatoes was a very nice combination and the spinach added the additional color that this needed for a good presentation. Make sure you add the bread crumb and Parmesan cheese topping as it really enhances the flavors. linda has provided a recipe that is sure to be a hit. Thank you!

I thought this was delicious. I wanted to let people know that there is an easier way to make this to save time and reduce clean-up. I used my large stockpot and boiled the pasta first. I then drained the pasta and let it sit in a colander in the sink. In the same pot that I made the pasta, I then cooked thinly sliced chicken in some oil, and added some fresh garlic. After the chicken was cooked, I added the other ingredients right to the pot, mixed it well, and then added the penne. No need for additional mixing bowls. I then poured the mixture into my large 9 x 13 baking stone, and had no problem fitting it all in. Next I sprinkled on the topping and baked for 30 minutes, which was plenty. I thought it was delicious and will make again. I did reduce the chicken to 1 1/2 pounds, the cheese to 2 cups, the pesto to 8 oz, and the penne to 3/4 of the box. If making again, I would do exactly the same, except use the entire box of penne. THis was a keeper! Thanks, Linda!

This was great! I am glad I cut the recipe in half as you suggested, it still made a lot! I agree that the pesto was a little strong and I would probably use less in the future.

Delish! I didn't have Italian cheese blend, but I don't think it really needs it with all the Alfredo sauce. This was easy enough for me and made enough food for 3 people and lunch leftovers plus some.

WONDERFUL, easy dish fit for company . Just add a salad and everyone enjoyed it.

Wasn't to sure about this as my husband isnt a big pasta fan. we both loved it and i passed this recipe on to my daughters. Very tasty and had sort of a sweetness to it. Liked it a lot.

Very tasty!! I made my own pesto and only used half of what was called for. The recipe called for what I thought a lot of chicken, I had 2 grilled chicken breast leftover from the night before and just cut into small pieces. Also I only used about half the cheese blend, just seemed like a lot for 1 box of pasta. I also diced 2 fresh tomatoes, because that's what I had on hand. It's in the oven baking right now, but have been tasting along the way and will definitely make again!!!! I can't wait for dinner!!

Outstanding recipe; both that night, and in the days that followed. Some observations for others... - While this may never be a low-fat dish, several ingredients can be tweaked including low-fat alfredo sauce, fat-free milk, reduced pesto augmented by extra of the herbal ingredients sans oil (or if you don't love the pesto flavor as much as I do, just half pesto), and adjusted cheese proportions. In retrospect I think about an alternative suspension to oil for the crumbs and parm crust, but haven't tried it yet. Low-fat alfredo may not fool your Italian grandmother in a primarily-alfredo dish, but this recipe is sufficiently robust that you won't notice the difference. - Most average AR users like myself won't own a single bowl anywhere near large enough to mix all this (or all of a half-recipe), or a deep enough "9x13" casserole dish. I was making roughly half the recipe quantities and it was still well more than I could fit. You might plan on doing the big combination steps in two passes or two dishes, or just buy those bigger dishes you've been thinking about getting eventually anyway. Planning ahead will save mess and inconvenience. - I still have not figured out how spread the crust mix evenly over the dish - if any reviewer figures it out, please tell us. Also, I think I should have used more grated parm relative to bread crumbs. Thanks linda for the contribution, and let us know where you buy your 8 quart mixing bowls and foot deep baking dishes :-)

This is the first five star I have ever given. And it deserves it. My family went wild, kids included. My wife couldn't stop talking about it. I did make a few changes. First, I cut the chicken, pasta, Italian cheese, pesto and spinach into a third of what the recipe called for so that it woud fit in a 12X12 casserole dish. Everything else I cut roughly in half. Be careful with too much pesto as it can overwhelm the dish. I also blackened the chicken breasts (2) on a cast iron skillet as it added great flavor. This is a great dish for company as it can be prepared ahead of time. Congrats to the cook who submitted this. A true winner, winner chicken dinner.

This casserole is so good everyone loved it and it does make alot

i loved it! i am obsessed with pesto and cheese so I added some more in the recipe, but other than that it was the best pesto pasta dish i have had!

Perfection just like it is! Make the adjustments as your family may like if you wish she never said everything was written in stone.... I like to have lots of left overs this amount works for my family, it gives us some left over for a midnight raid & perhaps to take for lunch the next day! Thanks for taking the time to share..........

II made this for a track team prior to a meet. I bought some jarred pesto that was on sale that I don't normally use and did not look at the label - it contained both pine nuts and cashews - the one I normally use doesn't have nuts in it at all. Anyway I caused a child with a nut allergy to have a huge reaction which put him out for the rest of the meet - I felt terrible so I just wanted to warn anyone feeding something with pesto in it to check for nut content if you are feeding to anyone with nut allergies!

this was so good, and great for a crowd!!

This recipe was PHENOMENAL. Honestly, I'm not sure how anyone could give it less than 5 stars. ....I read some reviews saying it was "tasteless".... Others complaining about the fat content, yet didn't even MAKE the recipe.... First of all, pesto is the key ingredient here - hence THE TITLE! If you're going to leave out the pesto due to cost, don't leave a review. OF COURSE, it will be tasteless! Second, no where on this recipe does it claim to be healthy. Besides, I believe in moderation and portion sizes. Having this recipe every now and again, will not hurt you! ANYWAY, my family of 6 LOVED it. From my youngest, who is 4, to grandma at 64! My husband raved about it. ...said it was better than any pasta at a restaurant. The only things I changed was that I cooked my own seasoned chicken, and I used garlic parmesan alfredo sauce. YES, it has LOTS of flavor and YES it has LOTS of calories. My advice, if you don't like flavor or fat, then move on...no need to troll with a cruddy review! I, for one, will DEFINITELY be making again! YUM!

Mmmm yummy :) This was very good. And easy. I did change it a little bit because I misread the ingredient amounts and didn't write a list before I went shopping (oops). So I used 1 4 oz jar of pesto, 2 jars of Alfredo sauce, 3 large chicken breasts, only 2 cups Italian cheese, and added some garlic. I also used fresh diced tomatoes. This made a ton of food! I used my deepest 9x13 dish and it almost didn't fit in that! Then at the very end of putting this together I realized I forgot the milk :O So I just poured about 1/2 cup over the top and added a little more of the Parm/bread crumbs. Family loved it and fought over leftovers for lunch. Very forgiving recipe, I know I completely messed it up but it was fantastic. Will make again, maybe using sun-dried tomato pesto, doesn't that sound fantastic? Thanks for the recipe linda.

I made this exactly to the recipe and it was a hit with my husband and teen-aged son (and me) - thanks for a great recipe!

Instead of pasta we used the Vagetti spiral vegetable slicer and made zucchini 'noodles'. Then we halved the recipe for everything else. It turned out delicious!

This was so good, my two boys (6 & 4) even gobbled it up! I did sub a little, I used fresh roma tomatoes diced, and a little less pesto since what was in the fridge seemed a little concentrated, and I tore up the spinach leaves. I made this before I left for work so all that needed to be done was to pop it in the oven until hot. I wonder it if freezes well?

This was easy to prepare, and I followed the recipe as stated except only used 7 oz of pesto. I actually think this tastes better the second day, as it gives the ingredients time to marry. Thanks for sharing~

Incredible!!! Used small jar pesto and diced italian tomatoes as others recommended. I took it to work for a luncheon and put it in a slow cooker instead of the oven. I left the topping off. It easily served 12 people. EVERYONE loved it!! Brought a little home for my family to taste...a winner again. Will definitely make often.

Amazing. I got so many recipe requests after I served this at a girls night -- I was in charge of feeding 19 women for dinner, and one friend made a baked spaghetti dish, and I made this recipe and also this spinach artichoke lasagna. This indeed made more than a deep-dish 9x13 (enough for a decent 8x8 for me & the hubs) -- like the reviews suggested, I halved the pesto (7 oz. total) and used a sun-dried tomato version, and fire-roasted diced tomatoes (just bc it sounded yummy). I'll probably also use 3/4 or half the alfredo sauce next time, since it was a bit rich for me, but *everybody* loved it the way it was. I also prepped all of this the night before and stuck it in the fridge so all I'd have to do was pop it in the oven for the party -- came out perfect! And, btw, I also accidentally skipped the milk, and maybe that's why the alfredo sauce was too rich for me :D Will.absolutely.make.again!

The combination of ingredients created some degree of palate confusion. I decreased the amount of pesto to 9oz and it was still too much. The finished product was a nondistinct presentation, looking more like 'mush' with no appeal. I will not make this again. IF I needed to alter the recipe, I would make penne with pesto, add some chicken, add some sun dried tomatoes, and decrease the 4 cups of shredded cheese. One star was way to generous.

flavor was ok, however the younger children were not found of the chunks of tomato and spinach, may chop up smaller next time

My family and I loved this recipe...I use this website almost everyday and have never been disappoited with anything! This dish was so good I wouldnt change a thing!

Made it last night, everyone had seconds and not much left. I have 2 of my kids that are on swim team. They burn off tons of calories a day in practice and a recipe like this refuels them.

This is a HUGE hit in my house and at parties where I've taken it. Please note, the recipe as it's written feeds an ARMY! For an average family you might want to halve it. DELICIOUS!!

This was absolutely delicious! Yes as everyone has said it does make quiet a large meal...I have a large family of men so it was perfect..and still have leftovers for later in the week! I didn't change a single thing and it was great! I will definately be making this again!! **2 of my children (8 and 11 yrs old) loved it as well, it's a kid friendly meal as well**

Used less pesto as other reviewers recommended. Not that impressive. Didn't look appealing and taste was fair. Brought to a potluck. Guests liked it but I was not impressed. Will not make again.

I made this last night and let me just say it was a hit. At first my son wasn't so sure about it because of the pesto in it but once he took that first bite, in less than 5 minutes he got up for another bowl. My daughter loved it as well and asked when would we be having it again. I will be making this again.

Very tasty! My only changes to this recipe were to use dreamfield.s pasta, (low carb) and made the Alfredo sauce using an Ellie Krieger recipe. It lowers the carbs, fat & calories. Still tastes like comfort food, without the guilt

This was delicious and made a huge amount, even though I halved the recipe. I did make a few changes, only because I didn't have some of the ingredients on hand. I only had a small amount of pesto suce, maybe 1/4 cup, and it was plenty. I almost think the full amount of pesto called for in the recipe might be too much. I substituted an equal amount of sour cream for the milk, used plain panko bread crumbs rather than seasoned, and in place of the canned crushed tomatoes, threw a handful of cherry tomatoes in the microwave for a minute or two, then crushed them a bit. The result was great! Anxious to try the recipe as written also!!

I made this with only slight tweaking and my family was amazed. It was excellent. I used fire roasted tomatoes with garlic by Delmonte and lowfat Bertolli alfredo sauce. Great recipe Linda.

This was amazing! I followed everything to the T. Well, sort of. I had two chicken breasts that I cooked then cut up into cubes. That seemed to be just enough. I mixed the cheese up as well. I used Italian blend and Mozzarella. And I didn't exactly measure out the spinach either. I just did handfuls and assumed each one meant a cup. This came out so good. My family ate it up! Thank goodness it makes a lot, because we're all very excited about the leftovers.

This recipe is excellent! I modified it to be gluten free and it was phenomenal! The only changes that I made were that I switched out the spinach for frozen green peas and uncooked broccoli and I sautéed the chicken with butter, olive oil, garlic salt, and S&P. Thank you for submitting this recipe!!

This was an amazing dish. My nine-year-old daughter helped me with the preparation, and although it was relatively simple to prepare the taste did not convey that. I did notice that I needed to bake this in two dishes, one 9x13, and one 8x8. That's alright, because now we have left-overs!

Very delicious! I too used only half the pesto only because I saw how much a jar of it cost! Ouch...my 7&14 yr old. loved it and that's all that matters. Used my Celebrating Home Roaster Oven pan. This is a huge dish will cook better if you use something larger than a 13x9 size pan.

This was very easy to make! I used 2 fresh roma tomatoes, 7 oz pesto, and a whole bunch of fresh torn spinach. I also used only 3 cups Italian cheese blend. The bread crumbs I used were crushed stovetop stuffing. Thank you for this recipe! My whole family loved it and it's a beautiful dish to serve with all the colors!

Very good, used diced tomatoes instead of crushed, and omitted the olive oil from the Parmesan/breadcrumb mix, it didn't seem like you would be able to spread it evenly when it was moistened, so I sprinkled it dry and drizzled a little olive oil on it. Completely filled an 8 x 10 AND a 9 x 13. Half cooked the 8 x 10 and froze it.

This recipe was easy to put together and get on the table for dinner. It calls for entirely too much pesto. This amount of pesto overpowers all of the other flavors. It also lacked alot. This is a great base recipe for something spectacular if you played with it and modified it.

I just made this tonight and it made a score of 9.5 with my family. To make it easy just cube raw chicken into small pieces and put it in the mixture. It cooks perfectly in 45 minutes. I only used one 7 oz. jar of pesto and 2 cps of cheese and a 15 oz can of italian stewed tomatoes that I pureed in the blender. My husband loved it with a little red pepper sprinkled on the top. This is definitely a keeper!!!!!!!!!!!

We put 7 ounces of pesto and it was still a LITTLE too much. I will put 5 next time. Otherwise, very good recipe!

Yummy!!! I did use less pesto (8oz) because that's how it came. I think more would be too much. And I only used 3 cups of chicken because we're not very carniverous. And yes, it makes a TON of casserole- lots of leftovers.

This dish was great and my whole family loved it. I decreased the pesto to the 8oz jar and used diced tomoatoes versus crushed like other reviewers stated and this came out wonderfully. It was also so easy to prepare that my 4 year old did half the work!

This is now one of my favorite meals of all time! Seriously. I followed the exact directions, except I did half the Pesto sauce as suggested by most people here. Definitely made a lot! Making it again and again for sure!

very flavorful and tasty! I substituted red bell pepper for the tomatoes just because of personal taste. I also used reduced fat Alfredo sauce which helped a tad with the calories. I will definitely make again but will cut down on the amount of sauce. It seemed to overwhelm the dish in my opinion. Served with a simple salad. Plenty of leftovers!

DELICIOUS!!! Despite all the other reviews I actually added more pesto sauce. My family loves pesto, and we really loved this recipe. My very picky 5 yr-old daughter had 3 servings!

I made this dish but added fresh mushrooms and used fresh grape tomatoes. Very simple and yummy.

GREAT RECIPE!!! SINCE I ADDED IT TO MY BOX I'VE MADE IT 3 TIMES!!!! GETS BETTER EVERY TIME....AND I JUS LOVE THE SMILE I GET AFTER!!! THANKS FOR SHARING!!!

This was delicious, and I for one, am planning on cooking it again.

Made this for me and my boyfriend and we both loved it! I added a little cottage cheese to it and it was perfect!

Absolutely delicious! It is very rich and tasteful. It does make a lot. Didn't change a thing except used diced tomatoes and my own pesto sauce. It was enjoyed by everyone and even heats up well the next day. Thanks so much for sharing, linda!

This was definitely the recipe I was looking for. I will definitely make this a second time but I will reduce the pesto as it was a bit much. Loved it!! New Post: I just made this a second time with some minor tweaks and it was delicious!! First I substituted vegetable pasta in to tone down the carbs a little. Second, I halved the amount of pesto and Italian cheese combo and left everything else the same. It was PERFECT!

Yummy! Very rich. Family approved. Used two dishes for this recipe. It made a lot. I have a feeling that the leftovers for tomorrow will not last long.

My family loves this recipe. We did add artichokes to the recipe because we like them! It made it even better!!

This lends itself very well to improvising and my family all loved the result of my modified version. I cannot wait to try the original now. My modifications were: 3 diced fresh Roma tomatoes in place of crushed Blend of fresh mozzarella and pepper jack cheese Added lightly sautéed fresh mushrooms and because I didn't have Alfredo or milk, I used one can of condensed cream of celery soup and water.

I have made this recipe several times and every time it is AMAZING!!!! So many different flavors and easy to make.

This is such an awesome dish!!! I made my own Alfredo sauce, and used fire roasted tomatoes instead of crushed, and only half jar of pesto, and boneless skinless thighs. Everyone who tasted it loved it, including my son, who is a chef! It's almost gone, and I want to make some more now! Oh, I forgot, I thought I had bread crumbs, but didn't, so I just used just the parm on top.

Tasty and easy to put together. Everyone liked, even picky teen. I only used about a third of the cheese to reduce the fat and calories. Will make again.

This recipe was amazing. I made a few changes because of what I had on hand: I used about half the chicken, left out the spinach, used a large can(28 oz) of spaghetti sauce instead of the crushed tomatoes, made my own pesto and halved the amount, and left out the milk entirely(it didn't need it). It fit perfectly in my 9x13 pan and my husband and I enjoyed the leftovers for several days.

I just made this for dinner tonight and we just finished eating it. It is soooooo delicious. My husband was raving over it and even went back for seconds. I hate when people make changes to recipes and then rate them bad, and unfortunately I had to make just a few small changes. I used bowtie pasta only because it was what I had and I needed to use it(we don't eat a lot of pasta in our house). I also only used a 7oz. jar of pesto as that is what they had at Publix and it was quite expensive. Other than that I followed the recipe to a tee and it was amazing. It does make quite a bit but we do not mind as we like to take leftovers to work the next day. Thanks for a really great recipe!!!!!!

I wanted to try something different. I typed in "chicken cassarole" into the search feature and this recipe popped up. I thought it sounded really unique and different. It was. Really really great dish. My family loved it! (and take Linda's instruction to heart...this made ALOT!) I followed the recipe pretty close except...my local store didnt have pesto so I dumped some chopped basil with a dribble of olive oil and garlic in. I also lightly floured and sauteed the chicken (which added to the overall flavor). I also spiced it up with some cayenne pepper. I asked my family if they liked it enough for me to make it again and the answer was a resounding YES PLEASE!!! Thanks for sharing Linda...*smile*

This is good stuff! But it makes a LOT. I just put about 2/3 of the recipe in a 9x13 pan, and froze an 8x8 to have on hand during the hectic holidays. I make this exactly as written, with two small changes: I only use half of the pesto; and I mix everything except for the noodles in a big bowl. Once the noodles are divided between the two casseroles, I pour a portion of the sauce/chicken mixture over top and mix right in the casserole. Thanks for a keeper recipe!

Omitted Alfredo sauce but still was very tasty.

Wonderful! WILL be making this again!

We just loved this wonderful dish that made my kitchen smell like Olive Garden! A keeper for sure..the only thing I would change at all would be to add a little less pesto...but that's just a personal preference...some folks probably like the extra spiciness! I would also only make 1/2 the recipe next time as this makes a HUGE amount of food! But it is absolutely Delicious & THANKS so very much for sharing!!!

This was really good! I used less pesto and added more spinach. Easy too!

This was very good. I was in a hurry so I just decreased the amount of milk and skipped the baking part. I topped it with Parmesan w/o the bread crumbs.

This got a thumbs up from my hubby and teen son. I thought it was very tasty too. I made an alfredo sauce from a packet with non-fat milk to save on some fat and left out the tomatoes because I really didn't think they were needed. I will make this again!

AMAZING FOUNDATION. I HAVE BEEN MAKING THIS FOR YEARS. Tweaks: Halved the recipe. Halved the pesto again. Diced tomatoes + 1/4 cup tomato sauce instead of crushed. Browned chicken with cajun seasoning. Added veg: 4 oz browned mushrooms, 1/2 caramelized onion, 1 red bell pepper. Added seasonings: tsp paprika, pinch chili powder, pinch red pepper flakes, pinch cayenne, tsp Italian seasoning, tsp dried basil. Serve with bread slices and sugar snap peas or roasted vegetables.

I made this and cut the recipe in half. I wasn't overly impressed. I didn't care for the bread crumb topping, I think reserving some of the shredded cheese for the top would be better. I also think using frozen spinach would be easier in this recipe. Overall, it wasn't horrible. It just needed some tweaking to make it more appetizing for our tastes.

Very creamy and delicious! Added a whole diced onion and a chopped red pepper, I would recommend for a fairly simple and tasty recipe!

This dish was really good. I added extra spinach and could have added even more.

First of all YUUUUMMM!!!! This dish was absolutely amazing! My husband and I were so thrilled when this came out of the oven! Our apartment was filled with the most delicious aromas. We drank wine, played Sinatra and for a night, felt like we were in Italy. The pesto sauce absolutely makes this dish!! I admit, I was kind of worried when I went to get the ingredients for this recipe as certain items, like pesto, are rather expensive. Fortunately, I found buy 1 get 1 free jars of pesto at the grocery! Also, I definitely didn't put in 6 cups of chicken. I put in 3 cubed chicken breasts (yes it was a little light, but still amazing!) When considering that this recipe makes 12 servings, I am able to justify the $18 I spent ($1.50 / serving). Sure, I could have made a ton of spaghetti for less, but this dish was totally worth the smiles it put our faces! Moreover, I would have easily spent more money at any fast food restaurant - ick!

halved the entire recipe - still have leftovers. actually just used 1/4 of the amount of pesto. Still a little strong. But it was delicious!

This was yummo-licious! As always, I read the reviews to get tips before following a recipe. I made some changes for my family of 4: used 2.5 cups of uncooked whole wheat penne pasta , used half of a 7 oz jar of pesto. Used maybe less than a 1/2 c of crushed tomatoes (eyeballed it to taste). Used 3 oz of cut grilled chicken strips. I used the entire 15 oz jar of alfredo sauce. I don't think I used 3 cups of spinach. I eyeballed this too, to my liking. Used 2 cups of italian blend cheeses and 3/4 c of milk. I used the specified amount of parmesan cheese and bread crumbs, but I probably used 2 TBSP of EVOO because 1 TBSP wasn't enough. My kids are somewhat picky when it comes to eating, and they (and DH) LOVED it! This is definitely a keeper. I agree, it's not a healthy meal, BUT using whole wheat pasta and watching your portions will make a difference. Thanks, Linda, for submitting this wonderful, comforting, family meal!!

I followed the directions exactly. My family didn't really care for this recipe. I think i might try a different recipe next time. Just our own personal taste. I think it was the pesto sauce.

This Is truly a great recipe. I've made this about 5-6 times and it's a hit every time with my family. The only modification made was replacing regular crushed tomatoes with a can of Rotel...that's it! Thanks for sharing!!

Think I will cut back a bit on the Pesto next time otherwise really good!

My sister made this and her whole family loved it, so I decided to give it a try. I loved it, too. I used diced tomatoes, but stuck to the recipe otherwise. It was great re-heated. My boyfriend, who's not a pasta-lover, had leftovers for lunch the following day and then more for dinner that night. A hit!

I rely on the reviews at this website so much that I decided to finally write my own. I made this tonight and found it to be a really tasty recipe. I'll definitely make it again. Other than reducing the amount of pesto per other reviews (I used 7 oz.), the biggest change I made was to use the pasta cooking water in the place of milk to make it less rich. I made my own alfredo sauce by melting a stick of butter and then stirring in 1 c cream and 1 c shredded parmesan cheese (recipe from Joy of Cooking). I started to add the crushed tomatoes and found the color the casserole was turning to be alarming, so I nixed it. In the future, I will add a can of drained petite diced tomatoes instead. All in all, a company-worthy, family-friendly recipe!

Following the recommendation of other reviewers, I cut down on the pesto, cheese, and milk, and added chopped onion and mushrooms. I also used 2 packages of chicken tenderloins (so about 2 lbs- I don't know how that compares to 6 cups), which I cooked, seasoned, and cut up myself. With the revisions, it was delicious! Three stars for the recipe as written, but it can definitely be improved upon and tailored to your own tastes.

This recipe is delicious! I had some small changes due to lack of ingredients in my fridge. I used squash instead of spinach. I also used fresh tomatoes and diced them myself. Great dish paired with a light salad!

Definitely a new family favorite! I added mushrooms.

Was pretty good. Instead of using bread crumbs I used ritz crackers in "I can't believe it's not butter." Big difference!

Really good. I totally improvised based on the other reviews. I used Ritz crackers, frozen spinach, left-over spaghetti sauce and a packaged creamy pesto sauce and minimized the cheese and subsituted some of the cheese with cream cheese. Yum!

This recipe was wonderful and easy to make. I used rotisserie chicken and lightened it up with light Alfredo from a jar and a light Italian cheese blend. Use all the pesto recommended. This is a perfect casserole for a potluck, a moving day dish, or if you need a taste of comfort food. Delicious!

I am giving this 5 stars as all of my teenage boys and husband loved it. I made without the spinach (although I would like that) and halved the pesto as others had recommended. I think sprinkling pinenuts over the top would be a nice addition, and I might try that next time. I will definitely make this again!

Pretty good - will reduce the pesto sauce next time, it is a little overwhelming.

It's a easy and quick meal that I've made several times and always get positive comments. High calories, yes, but I'm not making it every month. A simple and easy comfort food

Just made this tonight for dinner. I did halve the recipe as was suggested. My family loved it! I thought it was a little fattening but I think it could be made lighter: light alfredo,light pesto and barilla plus pasta. I would definatly make this again and would do it for a big crowd. I am giving it 4 stars because it is pretty unhealthy.

This is a tasty casserole that, surprisingly, all of my kids liked (even with the spinach)! If you have prepared pesto and pre-cooked chicken, this dish is easy to prepare. I used a can of diced tomatoes (drained), but next time I might use fresh. I found that the recipe made too much to fill a 9x13 baking dish, so I used an additional 8x8 dish. I also used the Simple Garlic and Basil Pesto recipe from this site instead of store-bought pesto. Excellent!