Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Pasta

Pasta with juicy chicken and crisp roasted broccoli, all wrapped in a dreamy creamy sauce!

Chicken and broccoli is a glorious combination, and today we’re celebrating it in the only way I know how – by loading it in a creamy pasta of course! Follow me…

Baked Chicken and Broccoli

Most pasta recipes I do often take place either all in the same pan, or at least mostly in the same pan. This one is a little different because we’re actually going to bake the chicken and broccoli.

Why bake the chicken and broccoli?

1. The chicken and broccoli bake at the same rate.
2. Roasting the broccoli leaves it with a gorgeously crisp & tender texture, and a much more desirable flavour.
3. Baking the chicken requires less hands-on time than frying.

Two tips when baking the chicken & broccoli are to pound the chicken to even thickness (to tenderise it and help it cook evenly), and finish the roasted broccoli with a squeeze of lemon juice (livens up the broccoli and will in turn cut through the richness of the sauce).

Process shots: pound chicken to even thickness (photo 1), season and coat in oil (photo 2), add to tray with broccoli (photo 3), coat broccoli in seasoning and oil then bake (photo 4).

Chicken Broccoli Pasta

As the chicken and broccoli bake, you can get cracking with the pasta sauce. I love a creamy sauce, packed with heaps of parmesan and tickled with garlic. It’s super simple, but it really does the trick.

What kind of pasta to use?

The pasta I use here is Manfredine, but realistically any sort of long-cut pasta will do the trick. I much prefer long-cut pasta as opposed to short-cut because the sauce oozes around the noodle so beautifully.

Starchy Pasta Water

The sauce should be fairly thick and attach itself nicely to the pasta. Should you need to thin it out at all, toss in some of the leftover pasta water a splash at a time. It should be nice and starchy, so it’ll help create a glossy, creamy sauce.

Process shots: melt butter (photo 1), fry garlic (photo 2), add chicken stock and cream (photo 3), stir in parmesan and simmer (photo 4), toss in cooked pasta (photo 5), toss in broccoli and chicken (photo 6).

Serving Chicken and Broccoli Pasta

When it comes to serving, you really don’t need any extra garnish besides some parmesan (if you’re feeling extra cheesy). From there, just tuck right in and enjoy!

Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this chicken and broccoli pasta shall we?!

How to make Chicken & Broccoli Pasta (Full Recipe & Video)

Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Pasta

Pasta with juicy chicken and crisp roasted broccoli, all wrapped in a dreamy creamy sauce!

5 from 1 vote

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Servings (click & slide): 4

Course: Dinner / Main Course

Cuisine: Italian / Western

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Calories per serving: 802kcal

Author: Chris Collins

Cost per serving: £3 / $3.50

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Equipment:

• Large Baking Tray (for baking chicken & broccoli)
• Large Pan & Wooden Spoon (for sauce)
• Large Pot & Tongs (for cooking pasta)
• Cling Film & Rolling Pin (for pounding chicken)
• Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
• Fine Cheese Grater

Ingredients (check list):

Chicken & Broccoli

• ▢ 2x 7oz/200g boneless skinless Chicken Breasts
• ▢ 1x 14oz/400g whole head of Broccoli, broken into bite-sized florets (florets should weigh 9oz/250g)
• ▢ 1/2 Lemon, juice only
• ▢ 1/2 tsp EACH: Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Salt, plus more salt as needed
• ▢ 1/4 tsp Black Pepper, plus more as needed
• ▢ 1 tbsp Olive Oil, plus more as needed

Pasta

• ▢ 10.5oz / 300g Long-Cut Pasta
• ▢ 1 1/4 cups / 300ml Heavy/Double Cream, at room temp
• ▢ 3/4 cup / 180ml Chicken Stock
• ▢ 1.8oz / 50g freshly grated Parmesan
• ▢ 2 tbsp Butter
• ▢ 2 cloves of Garlic
• ▢ Salt & Black Pepper, to taste

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 200C/400F.
• Lay a sheet of cling film over the chicken breasts and use a rolling pin to pound to even thickness. Place on a large baking tray and coat in 1/2 tsp onion powder, garlic powder, salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper and 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the broccoli to the other side of the tray and toss in a drizzle of olive oil and a good pinch of salt & pepper.
• Bake in the oven for 18-20mins, or until the chicken is white/piping hot through the centre and the broccoli is lightly charred and fork tender. They should cook at an even rate, but timings will vary based on the thickness of the chicken and the size of the broccoli florets. Don't be afraid to pull one out of the oven before the other if needed. Once out of the oven, gently squeeze lemon juice over the broccoli. Rest the chicken for a few mins, then slice it into thin strips just before needed.
• Meanwhile, with around 10 or so mins to go pop the pasta in salted boiling water and cook until al dente.
• At the same time, melt butter in a large deep pan over medium heat and fry the garlic for 1-2mins. Stir in chicken stock & cream and bring to a simmer. Stir in parmesan and continue gently simmering until the sauce thickens.
• Use your tongs to transfer the pasta straight from the pot into the sauce and toss to coat. Add the chicken and broccoli, and continue tossing until the sauce thickens around the pasta and clings to it. If it over thickens then toss in some of the leftover pasta water. If you go overboard, just continue gently tossing over heat until the sauce thickens. Season to taste then serve and enjoy!

Quick 1 min demo!

Notes:

a) Pasta - The pasta I use here is Manfredine, but realistically any sort of long-cut pasta will do the trick.

b) Do I have to bake the chicken & broccoli? - I bake the broccoli because it goes gorgeously crispy and gains heaps more flavour than if it were simply boiled. I add the chicken on the same tray for ease, as it cooks at the same rate the broccoli does. Having said that, you could pan-fry the chicken and boil the broccoli (add to pasta water 4-5mins before the pasta is cooked).

c) Seasoning - The onion/garlic powder spruce up the chicken. I highly recommend adding at least one of them, just to prevent the chicken from turning out bland! 

d) Calories - Whole recipe divided by 4.

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Nutrition:

Nutrition Facts

Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Pasta

Amount Per Serving

Calories 802 Calories from Fat 402

% Daily Value*

Fat 44.63g69%

Saturated Fat 24.012g120%

Trans Fat 0.353g

Polyunsaturated Fat 2.912g

Monounsaturated Fat 13.914g

Cholesterol 201mg67%

Sodium 663mg28%

Potassium 845mg24%

Carbohydrates 68.01g23%

Fiber 9.9g40%

Sugar 3.32g4%

Protein 35.16g70%

Vitamin A 1937IU39%

Vitamin C 59mg72%

Calcium 200mg20%

Iron 1.67mg9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition is based on the absence of salt unless stated as a measurement in the ingredients. Cost is worked out based on ingredients bought from UK supermarkets, then divided by the number of servings. In both instances these values are just for guidance. Please check out my FAQ Page for more info.

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Looking for more?You'll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook 'Comfy'

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