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This chicken and broccoli pasta is something you will want to add to the menu! This dinner gets kicked up a notch with a simple, yet flavorful, butter sauce. Made with just a few simple ingredients.
Chicken and Broccoli Pasta
I do love a good classic bowl of spaghetti with marinara, but I love switching it up with a yummy cream sauce occasionally. This quick and easy recipe is perfect for lunch or dinner. It’s packed with protein and veggies with a creamy flavorful sauce.
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Ingredients:
Penne pasta, or pasta of choice
Broccoli, cut into small florets
Olive oil
Onion, diced
Salt and pepper
Garlic, minced
All-purpose flour
Whole milk
Grated parmesan cheese
Chicken breasts, cooked and cut into small cubes
Tips
Broccoli: Be sure to cut the broccoli into small florets so that it cooks quickly and evenly.
Parmesan Cheese: Use freshly grated parmesan cheese for the best flavor and texture.
Chicken: You can use leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken for this recipe.
Instructions:
Boil the penne pasta and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. In the last 5 minutes of cooking add the broccoli florets in the boiling water with the pasta. Drain the pasta and broccoli in a colander and set aside.
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, until softened. Add the minced garlic, salt, and black pepper, and cook for an additional 1 minute.
Sprinkle the flour over the onion and garlic mixture and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually whisk in the whole milk, stirring until smooth. Cook until the sauce thickens.
Stir in the grated parmesan cheese until melted and smooth. Add the cooked pasta, broccoli, and diced chicken breasts to the pot with the parmesan sauce. Stir until everything is well coated.
Recipe Tip
The recipe calls for steamed broccoli but, this would be really great with some sauteed green and red bell peppers!Toss in some mushrooms or zucchini!
This Chicken Broccoli Pasta Salad is delicious on its own, but you can also serve it with a side of garlic bread or a simple green salad for a complete meal.
Add the penne pasta and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. In the last 5 minutes of cooking add the broccoli florets in the boiling water with the pasta.
Drain the pasta and broccoli in a colander and set aside.
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
Add the diced onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, until softened.
Add the minced garlic, salt, and black pepper, and cook for an additional 1 minute.
Sprinkle the flour over the onion and garlic mixture and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Gradually whisk in the whole milk, stirring until smooth.
Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
Stir in the grated parmesan cheese until melted and smooth.
Add the cooked pasta, broccoli, and diced chicken breasts to the pot with the parmesan sauce.
Stir until everything is well coated and heated through, about 2-3 minutes.
Transfer the Chicken Broccoli Pasta Salad to a serving bowl.
Garnish with additional grated parmesan cheese, if desired.
Season to taste and serve hot
Notes
Storage and Freezing Tips:
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat, simply microwave the pasta salad until warmed through, or heat it gently on the stovetop with a splash of milk to prevent it from drying out.
This pasta is not suitable for freezing, as the creamy sauce may separate upon thawing.
Can I use low-fat milk instead of whole milk?
Yes, you can use low-fat milk for a lighter version of this recipe, but keep in mind that the sauce may not be as creamy and rich.
Additional Info
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Yum, I just made something similar and it turned out great! Love the freshness and having it this creamy goodness all together in one place! I would love for you to share this over at my new link party Making Memories Mondays going on now! Cathy
In a small bowl, whisk together the minced garlic, grated ginger, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, honey, red pepper flakes, cornstarch and water. Pour the soy sauce mixture over the chicken and broccoli and stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
What to Serve with Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry. I love serving this chicken broccoli stir fry over plain rice (Jasmine or Basmati), brown rice, or fried rice. It's also great with our fluffy quinoa or noodles.
One of the reasons pasta con broccoli is so easy is that the water does double duty. The same water is used to cook both the broccoli and pasta, so be sure to not discard it after cooking the broccoli. And yes, save the pasta water to add to your sauce!
Oyster Sauce: Oyster sauce is said to have originated when an oyster seller left his oysters over the heat for too long, and they became a rich, caramelized sauce, which is used in many Chinese food dishes, including Chinese brown sauce.
The recipe for this creamy broccoli sauce is incredibly simple. You just cook the broccoli until soft, and blitz it with the cream cheese and seasonings. A stick blender is useful, as you can blitz the sauce in the pan to save on the washing up. You can use the stem of the broccoli as well as the florets.
Eating just enough chicken and broccoli to maintain a calorie deficit (consuming fewer calories than you burn) will result in weight loss. However, eating too much chicken and broccoli to the point that you exceed your daily caloric requirement can hinder weight loss.
Drain immediately after boiling to prevent the broccoli from becoming mushy. If you like broccoli a little crunchier, boil for 2 minutes. Is boiled broccoli still healthy? Boiled vegetables do lose some nutrients in the cooking water, namely water-soluble vitamins like vitamin C and folate.
This recipe is pretty easy to put together since you cook the pasta and broccoli in the same pot of boiling water. I was worried that the broccoli would become mushy but by adding the broccoli in after the pasta has cooked for a few minutes, the broccoli comes out crisp, tender and a lovely bright green.
It is also slightly sweetened, which will make the broccoli retain their green color. In the middle of the cooking water may be added to the milk to aid in preventing leaching of calcium from bones by the microelements contained in broccoli.
Marinara sauce is lower in calories and fat, making it a preferable sauce choice for those that are counting calories or on a low-fat diet. It also has more fiber than Alfredo sauce as it contains mostly vegetables. Conversely, high-fat diets are on the rise, making Alfredo an ideal sauce for many consumers.
White sauce – also known as béchamel – is made with flour, milk, and butter. It's a basic sauce that can be used as a base for other sauces or as a topping for dishes like lasagna. Alfredo sauce, on the other hand, is made with butter, cream, and Parmesan cheese, and has a much richer flavour than white sauce.
As a general rule, pair the heartier sauces with the wider noodles: Wide ribbons like pappardelle pair well with rich, meaty sauces while the thinner flat noodles, like fettuccine or linguine, are best paired with simple cream sauces like Alfredo or delicate proteins like seafood.
Whisk mayonnaise, ketchup, and garlic powder together in a bowl. Add Worcestershire sauce to the mayonnaise mixture and whisk until smooth. Sprinkle enough pepper over the surface of the mayonnaise mixture to cover; stir to incorporate. Repeat sprinkling and stirring of pepper once more.
Sauces are the melding of ingredients, including stocks, wine, aromatics, herbs, and dairy, into a harmonious taste. Most small sauces are based on the principle of reduction, cooking down various liquids with aromatics, wine, and herbs to meld, concentrate, and balance the flavor and consistency.
Pan gravy is a sauce made from meat drippings left behind in the pan. Drippings refer to the seasoned but not thickened juices extracted from the roasted meat. You don't want to throw away these fat drippings because there is so much flavor in them.
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