When you need dinner ready under 30 minutes, this broccoli chicken pasta with the creamiest sauce will save the day. Say hello to your family’s new favorite!
How to make broccoli chicken pasta
- The sauce: This sauce is very much based off of my Alfredo sauce recipe. The sauce is made with butter, cream and Parmesan cheese. Can you make this sauce without cream? Absolutely. The end result won’t be as silky and luscious but will still be tasty. After melting the butter to the pan, whisk in two teaspoons of flour then pour in the milk. Allow to simmer until the sauce has thickened (approximately 7-10 minutes).
- Chicken and broccoli: You can use either boneless chicken breast or thighs for this recipe. I prefer using thighs because they are much juicier and more flavorful. Chop the chicken into bite size pieces then, season with salt and pepper and fry in a hot pan until the chicken starts to turn golden brown all over. Remove from the pan then make the sauce. Slice the broccoli into smaller florets, this will help the cook faster. Add the broccoli and chicken and allow to simmer and cook for 5 minutes or until the broccoli is tender then toss with pasta and serve. (Full recipe and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.)
Freezing and reheating
- Freezing: Because this recipe is so quick to make, it’s not something I often freeze. I also don’t love freezing cream-based recipes as they tend to split once thawed. However, the taste will still be good so if you prefer freezing this sauce, allow the finished sauce to cool down then transfer to freezer-proof containers. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely then reheat gently in a saucepan and simmer until hot throughout.
- Reheating: This sauce can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. To reheat, transfer the sauce to a saucepan and heat over gentle heat until the chicken and broccoli are warmed through.
Chicken pasta recipes
- Rosemary cream chicken pasta
- Creamy spinach garlic chicken on pasta
- Chicken Cordon Bleu pasta bake
- Chicken Parmesan pasta bake
Creamy broccoli chicken pasta
When you need dinner under 30 minutes, this broccoli chicken pasta with the creamiest sauce will save the day. Say hello to your family's new favorite!
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Servings: 4 - 6
Calories: 538kcal
Ingredients
- 500 g (1lb) boneless chicken thighs chopped into bite size pieces
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 garlic cloves crushed/minced
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2-3 cups broccoli sliced into small florets
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
- 500 g (1lb) pasta cooked + 1 cup cooking water reserved
Instructions
- Heat a large pan over high heat.
- Drizzle a few teaspoons of olive oil over the chicken then season with salt and pepper.
- Brown the chicken in the pan for a few minutes until the chicken is opaque white and starting to turn golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add the butter and garlic to the pan and allow to cook for 30 seconds.
- Pour in the cream and add the thyme and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer then add the chicken and broccoli to the pan. Partially cover and Allow to simmer for 5-7 minutes until the chicken and broccoli are cooked.
- Add the Parmesan and stir into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
- Toss in the pasta and add some of the reserved cooking water if necessary. You want the pasta to be well-coated in the cream sauce. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Calories: 538kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 339mg | Potassium: 337mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 509IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 189mg | Iron: 2mg
Made this one last and night and usually my kids hate broccoli but they didn’t even say anything they ate the whole dish! It’s simply delicious if I can say! Will make again for sure!
Yay for kids eating broccoli!!