Creamy Broccoli Pasta with Chicken (Print Version)
Tender chicken and pasta in a rich, creamy sauce with broccoli. Comforting, easy, and ready in 40 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Proteins
01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 14 oz), cut into bite-sized pieces
→ Pasta
02 - 12 oz penne or fusilli pasta
→ Vegetables
03 - 10 oz broccoli florets
→ Dairy & Sauces
04 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 cup heavy cream
08 - 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
09 - 1/4 cup whole milk
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Optional Garnishes
11 - Fresh parsley, chopped
12 - Extra Parmesan cheese
# Directions:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Add the broccoli florets to the boiling pasta water for the last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain pasta and broccoli, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.
02 - Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until golden and cooked through, about 6-7 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.
03 - In the same skillet, add garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the heavy cream and milk, stirring to deglaze the pan.
04 - Lower the heat to medium. Add the Parmesan cheese and whisk until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes. If the sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water a little at a time.
05 - Return the chicken, pasta, and broccoli to the skillet. Toss everything together until evenly coated in the creamy sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
06 - Serve immediately, garnished with chopped parsley and extra Parmesan if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sauce clings to every piece of pasta like a warm hug, creating that restaurant-quality creaminess without any fancy techniques.
- You can have it on the table in 40 minutes flat, which has rescued me countless times when hungry family members start prowling around the kitchen looking pitiful.
02 -
- I once drained my pasta without saving some water and ended up with sauce that was too thick, so now I always set a measuring cup in the colander as a reminder to reserve that liquid gold before draining.
- Adding the broccoli directly to the pasta water exactly 3 minutes before the pasta is done means perfectly tender florets without having to dirty another pot or lose any nutrients to separate cooking water.
03 -
- Salt your pasta water until it tastes like the sea - this is your only chance to season the pasta itself and makes all the difference in the final dish.
- Let the cream come to room temperature before adding it to the hot pan to prevent it from separating, a lesson I learned after one particularly disappointing curdled sauce experience.