Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake

In a saucepan heat the butter and flour over medium high until they are incorporated and start to bubble. Cook for about 2 minutes more. Pour in the room temperature milk and stir to incorporate. Bring to a low boil and simmer for about 5-10 minutes until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. You can tell when it is the right consistency when you coat the spoon and then drag your finger through the sauce and it leaves the line in place.

Add one whole jar of basil pesto into the cream sauce and stir to incorporate. Set aside.

While making the sauce, put on a large stock pot of water and bring to a boil. Boil the pasta according to package instructions for al dente. I used rigatoni.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

As soon as the pasta comes to al dente, drain it and pour into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Add the sauce and the precooked chicken and stir until well coated. Sprinkle with the cheese and bake for 25 minutes.

Serves 6.

Enjoy!