Easy Creamy Broccoli Chicken

Pasta with chicken and broccoli brings together juicy protein, fresh veggies, and filling carbs in one delicious bowl that's both nutritious and comforting. This flexible dinner hits the sweet spot between filling and healthy, featuring chunks of tender chicken and crisp broccoli mixed with perfectly cooked pasta, all coated in a tasty sauce that sticks to every bite. You can have it on the table in less than 30 minutes - this simple one-pot meal solves your dinner dilemma when you're short on time but still want something that tastes great and does your body good.

This dish came about during an incredibly hectic time when I needed quick, healthy meals that wouldn't leave my kitchen in complete chaos. What began as a simple way to use up chicken and broccoli leftovers has turned into my family's most asked-for weeknight meal. My husband typically goes for heavier, meatier dishes, but he regularly asks for this pasta, saying it completely hits the spot. Even my nephew, who usually avoids vegetables like the plague, finishes everything on his plate when I make this - he used to pick out the broccoli bits but eventually tried them after watching everyone else enjoy them so much.

Key Components

• Chicken breast: Gives you healthy, lean protein that stays juicy when cooked right; you can swap in boneless, skinless thighs for a richer taste
• Broccoli florets: Add bright color, tons of nutrients, and nice texture; cut them the same size so they cook evenly
• Pasta shapes: Medium types like penne, rotini, or farfalle hold sauce really well; pick ones with ridges or holes to trap more sauce
• Olive oil: Sets the base for sautéing with its light fruity taste; go for extra virgin if you want more flavor
• Fresh garlic: Creates amazing smell and taste that goes through the whole dish; chop it small so it spreads evenly
• Chicken broth: Makes the flavorful liquid that becomes your sauce; low-sodium lets you control the saltiness better
• Heavy cream: Brings luxurious thickness that transforms the sauce; just a little makes a big difference
• Parmesan cheese: Adds deep savory flavor and naturally thickens the sauce; freshly grated melts way better than pre-shredded
• Italian seasoning: Gives herb flavor without needing lots of different spice jars; look for mixes with basil, oregano, and thyme
• Salt and pepper: Crucial for making all flavors pop; kosher salt and fresh ground pepper taste cleaner
• Red pepper flakes: Not required but really good for adding gentle heat that works against the creamy elements

Easy Steps

Get your water ready:

Start by getting a big pot of water going with a big spoonful of salt until it tastes like the ocean. This key step flavors your pasta and broccoli from the inside out. Turn the heat to high and let it come to a rolling boil while you work on the other stuff.

Prep your chicken:

While you're waiting for the water, cut about a pound of chicken breast into bite-sized chunks, roughly 1-inch squares so they cook evenly. Season them well with half a teaspoon each of salt, fresh ground black pepper, and Italian seasoning, making sure each piece gets coated.

Cook your pasta:

When the water's bubbling away, throw in 8 ounces of pasta and stir it right away so it doesn't stick together. Cook it for 2 minutes less than what the package says, since it'll finish cooking in the sauce later. Set a timer so you'll know when to add the broccoli.

Throw in the broccoli:

When there's 3 minutes left on your pasta timer, toss 3 cups of broccoli florets right into the same pot with the pasta. This smart trick cooks the broccoli perfectly and saves you from washing another pot. The broccoli should turn bright green but stay a little crisp.

Cook the chicken:

While the pasta and broccoli are doing their thing, heat up 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, deep pan over medium-high heat. Once it's shimmering, add your seasoned chicken in a single layer - don't crowd them. Let them get golden on one side before you stir them around, about 2-3 minutes per side. The chicken should be just cooked through but still juicy inside.

Add flavor base:

Turn the heat down to medium and toss in 3 cloves of minced garlic with the chicken. Keep stirring for 30-60 seconds until you can smell it but before it turns brown. This quick cooking releases all the good garlic flavor without making it bitter.

Make your sauce:

Pour 1 cup of chicken broth into the pan, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all those tasty brown bits from the bottom. Those little flavor bombs will make your whole sauce taste amazing. Let the liquid bubble away and reduce by about a third, which takes around 3-4 minutes.

Add creaminess:

Pour in ¼ cup of heavy cream, stirring constantly as it mixes with the reduced broth. The sauce will start looking silky and getting slightly thicker. If you don't want to use cream, a tablespoon of butter works too.

Mix everything together:

Drain the pasta and broccoli, but save ½ cup of that starchy cooking water first. Add your drained pasta and broccoli straight into the pan with the sauce and chicken. Toss everything gently but thoroughly so all the pieces get coated in sauce, being careful not to smash up the broccoli.

Final touches:

Sprinkle in ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, tossing until it completely melts into the sauce. If things look a bit dry, add some of that saved pasta water, a spoonful at a time, until it's just how you like it. Give it a taste and add more salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes if needed.

Presentation Ideas

Dish it out into a big serving bowl or individual plates while it's still hot. If you want to make it look fancy, add a bit more Parmesan cheese on top, a little drizzle of good olive oil, or some chopped fresh parsley to add bright color and a fresh flavor boost.

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My Italian grandma taught me how important it is to properly salt pasta water – she'd always taste it before adding pasta and say it should "taste like the sea." When I first started making this dish, I'd go light on salt, and something always seemed missing in the final result. Once I started properly salting the cooking water, the whole dish completely changed. My daughter used to pick broccoli out of everything, but now she actually asks for "the green trees" in her pasta after I started cutting the broccoli into fun shapes and cooking it just right – crisp-tender instead of soggy.

Great Side Dishes

Simple sides work beautifully with this flexible pasta dish. A warm, crusty baguette or some garlic bread lets you mop up every bit of that tasty sauce. The contrast between the crunchy crust and soft inside feels great alongside the pasta. For a complete meal without much extra work, add a simple green salad with just lemon juice, olive oil, and some cracked black pepper. The bright lemon cuts through the richness of the pasta while adding freshness to your meal. On cold nights, try a glass of light Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio – their subtle fruit flavors work with the savory elements without taking over.

Tasty Twists

Fun changes keep this adaptable dish exciting in your meal lineup. For a Mediterranean feel, mix in halved cherry tomatoes, some kalamata olives, and swap the Parmesan for crumbled feta. The tangy tomatoes and salty olives create a totally different flavor experience. For an Asian spin, replace Italian seasoning with ginger and garlic, add a splash of soy sauce and sesame oil to your sauce, and finish with some toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions. The deep savory flavors create a fusion dish that feels both familiar and new. Seafood fans might like using sautéed shrimp instead of chicken and squeezing fresh lemon juice over the finished dish, brightening the flavors while keeping the dish's basic character.

Leftovers Guide

The right storage keeps this pasta delicious for several meals. Put completely cooled leftovers in shallow containers with tight lids to help them chill quickly and stay fresh. The pasta will soak up more sauce as it sits, naturally making it thicker. When reheating, add a spoonful of water or broth for each serving to bring back moisture, then warm slowly over medium-low heat while stirring now and then. Microwaving works too but can make pasta a bit tough; cover with a damp paper towel and use 70% power in short bursts for best results. This dish stays good for up to three days in the fridge, making it great for meal prep. If you want to make components ahead of time, store cooked pasta, broccoli, and chicken separately, then combine with freshly made sauce when you're ready to eat.

I've tried countless pasta recipes over the years, but this chicken and broccoli combo stays in our regular meal plan for good reason. It shows what I think good home cooking should be – healthy, flexible, and doable even when life gets crazy. What I love most is how this recipe has grown with our family's changing tastes and needs. When my husband was cutting back on carbs, I just used more chicken and broccoli. When my daughter went through that phase of refusing anything green, I roasted the broccoli separately to make it sweeter, and suddenly she was fine with it again. This dish isn't just a recipe – it's a framework for countless healthy meals that have kept us going through busy times, tight budgets, and picky eating phases. When friends ask what I cook on weeknights, this is always what I share, knowing it'll work for them just as well as it has for us.

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Frequently Asked Questions

→ Is frozen broccoli okay to use?

Absolutely! Just defrost it first and pat off any extra water so it doesn't water down the dish.

→ What are some dairy-free swaps for this dish?

You can trade heavy cream with coconut milk or dairy-free cooking cream. Replace Parmesan with a plant-based cheese alternative or nutritional yeast.

→ Can this be prepped in advance?

Sure! Cook each part individually and blend together when you're ready. It also reheats easily, but you might need to add a bit of cream or broth to loosen it up.

→ Which pasta shapes go well here?

Anything mid-sized works fine—like bow ties (farfalle), corkscrews (fusilli), or tubes like rigatoni. Even flat noodles like fettuccine are great.

→ How do I store leftovers?

Keep it chilled in a sealed container for 3 days max. To reheat, gently warm it in a pan or microwave with a splash of liquid to refresh the sauce.