Chicken Broccoli Pasta Bake
A creamy, comforting chicken broccoli pasta bake made with real ingredients and ready in under an hour -- perfect for busy weeknight family dinners.
Equipment
- Large saute pan (3 quarts or larger)
- 10x10 inch baking dish
- Large pot for boiling pasta
Ingredients
- 1.5 cup dry small shaped pasta gemelli, rotini, or penne work well
- 3 cup fresh broccoli florets
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb chicken tenders cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 tsp paprika
- 0.5 tsp garlic powder
- 0.5 tsp onion powder
- 1 cup chicken broth start with 3/4 cup, add more as needed
- 4 oz cream cheese cut into cubes
- 1.5 cup shredded mozzarella cheese divided; shred from a block for best results
- 2 tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp kosher salt plus more for pasta water
- 0.5 tsp fresh black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta one minute less than the package directions for al dente. In the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the broccoli florets to the pot. Drain together and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, toss the chicken pieces with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for a few minutes until no longer pink on the outside. It does not need to be fully cooked through at this stage.
- Add the chicken broth to the pan and let it come to a simmer. Add the cubed cream cheese and stir until mostly melted -- small specks are fine and will disappear during baking. Stir in 3/4 cup of the mozzarella until melted. The sauce will thicken slightly.
- Turn off the heat and gently fold in the drained pasta and broccoli. Transfer the mixture to a 10x10 inch baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove the foil and top with the remaining 3/4 cup of mozzarella and the Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for about 3 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
