Chicken Broccoli Ziti
This Chicken Broccoli Ziti is a creamy, cheesy, and hearty pasta dish that's perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. Tender chicken, fresh broccoli, and ziti are tossed in a rich Parmesan cream sauce, delivering restaurant-quality flavor in just 30 minutes.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 802kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1x1-inch pieces
- 10 ounces ziti pasta
- 1 bunch broccoli cut into florets
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breasts into 1x1-inch cubes and set aside. Cut a bunch of broccoli into florets and set aside.
- Bring a large pot with water to boil. Transfer 10 oz ziti pasta and cook according to the instructions until al-dente.
- When the pasta is almost cooked, add broccoli florets into the cooking pasta and cook for 3-4 minutes. When done, drain all the water.
- While the pasta is cooking, preheat a large pan over medium/high heat and add 2 tbsp olive oil.
- Add cubed chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 7-10 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through. Then scoop all the cooked chicken out of the pan into a plate and set aside.
- Low the heat to medium. In the same pan, melt 3 tbsp butter. Add 3 tbsp all-purpose flour and whisk until well combined for about 1 minute.
- Add 1 ½ cups chicken broth and 1 cup heavy cream, then whisk again until the butter/flour mixture is dissolved.
- Add the seasoning (1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp dried oregano, and ¼ tsp red pepper flakes). Whisk and continue to whisk until the sauce gets thicker, about 7-10 minutes.
- Then add ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese and whisk again until well combined.
- Add cooked pasta and broccoli and toss them well, so everything is coated with the sauce.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Skillet. Make sure your skillet is large enough and has high rims, so it can fit everything. Mine is 4.5 qt and perfectly fits the whole meal.
- Red Pepper Flakes. If you like your pasta a bit spicier, you can add some extra red pepper flakes. But remember that the longer you cook them in the sauce, the spicier they will be. And if your are sharing this meal with the kids, just don't add the spicy red pepper flakes at all.
- Pasta. While this recipe is for Ziti, you can really use any pasta you have on hands.
- Chicken. When you pan sear the chicken, make sure you don’t overcook it, otherwise the meat will come out dry.
- How to store. You can store the leftovers in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 802kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 185mg | Sodium: 1317mg | Potassium: 1207mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2259IU | Vitamin C: 144mg | Calcium: 294mg | Iron: 3mg
