Description
A hearty and comforting pasta dish with tender chicken, roasted broccoli, and a creamy Parmesan sauce. Perfect for family dinners or special occasions!
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken & Broccoli:
- 2x 7oz/200g boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1x 14oz/400g head of broccoli (approx. 9oz/250g florets)
- 1/2 lemon, juice only
- 1/2 tsp EACH: onion powder, garlic powder, salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra as needed
Pasta & Sauce:
- 10.5oz/300g long-cut pasta (e.g., spaghetti, fettuccine, or linguine)
- 1 1/4 cups/300ml heavy cream (room temperature)
- 3/4 cup/180ml chicken stock
- 1.8oz/50g freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- Salt & black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F.
- Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness using cling film and a rolling pin.
- Place chicken on one side of a baking tray and broccoli florets on the other. Drizzle both with olive oil, season with onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Toss the broccoli to coat evenly.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes until chicken is cooked through (165°F internal temperature) and broccoli is fork-tender and slightly charred. Squeeze lemon juice over the broccoli. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
- Boil salted water in a large pot and cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- In a large pan, melt butter over medium heat and sauté minced garlic for 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in chicken stock and heavy cream, bringing the mixture to a gentle simmer.
- Gradually add Parmesan cheese, stirring continuously until the sauce thickens.
- Add cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to coat. Add the sliced chicken and roasted broccoli. Toss again until the sauce clings to the pasta. Use pasta water to adjust consistency if needed.
- Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan if desired.
Notes
- Pasta: Long-cut pasta works best, but short-cut pasta like penne or rigatoni can be used as alternatives.
- Broccoli: Roasting adds flavor, but you can also steam or boil it if preferred.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently with a splash of cream or milk.
- Substitutions: Use Pecorino Romano or Asiago if Parmesan isn’t available. For a lighter version, substitute cream with half-and-half or Greek yogurt.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking & Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 40g
- Cholesterol: 120mg