One Pot Chicken and Broccoli Pasta – Fast, Comforting & Delicious

If you love easy, comforting meals that come together in just one pot, this One Pot Chicken & Broccoli Pasta is about to become a new weeknight favorite. Tender pieces of chicken, fresh broccoli, and perfectly cooked pasta all simmer together in a creamy, flavorful sauce — no draining, no fuss, and hardly any washing up. It’s simple, satisfying, and exactly the kind of cozy dish you can rely on when you want something delicious without spending hours in the kitchen.

 

Today was the first day that I really felt up to standing up for a time to cook a meal for myself. I had beans on toast yesterday, but I was wanting something a bit more substantial today.  I had some broccoli in the refrigerator and some frozen chicken breasts that I got from Pelton's on the mountain.  The chicken breasts were on the small size so I did use both of them.

This went together quickly and easily. The sauce was rich and creamy. The chicken was tender and juicy. The broccoli came out crispy tender.

This made for a delicious meal.  I dusted it generously with some Parmesan cheese.  Normally I would have had some garlic bread and a salad on the side, but to be honest I just did not have the appetite.

I adapted this tasty recipe from one that I found here. I cut everything in half. Quick, easy and delicious it was the perfect recipe for a day when I was hungry but not up to spending a lot of time on my feet cooking!!

 

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE

ONE POT CHICKEN & BROCCOLI PASTA

This is a great store cupboard meal. Simple ingredients put together in a delicious way.

• 1 chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1/2 TBS light olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 3/4 cup (180ml) chicken stock
• 1 cup (240ml) half and half (single cream)
• 1 1/2 cups (38g) uncooked fusilli pasta
• 1 small broccoli crown, trimmed and cut into small bits
• salt and black pepper to taste
• Freshly grated parmesan cheese to serve

 

I used organic, free-range chicken breasts that I got at Pelton's chicken farm.  That is also where I get my eggs.

I make my own Italian seasoning. You can find the recipe for this here.

I use reconstituted Chicken stock from Better than Bullion.

I used a combination of half milk and half cream.

The pasta I used was Bucatini Fusilli.  It has a similar shape to fusilli but is like a hollow spaghetti, shaped into coils.

 

HOW TO MAKE

ONE POT CHICKEN & BROCCOLI PASTA

This simple dish comes together quickly and easily, taking only about 1/2 hour's time from start to finish.

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the chicken, give it a good stir to coat and sauté over medium high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. (It should just be cooked through. Do not brown.)
2. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, chicken broth, half and half, and pasta to the saucepan. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer on medium or medium low.
3. Simmer for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Stirring it occasionally helps to prevent the pasta from sticking to the pan.)
4. Add the broccoli to the pan. Give everything a good stir. Cover and cook over medium low for 4 to 5 minutes. (Covering the pan enables the broccoli to cook.)
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Test the broccoli. If it is still too crisp, cook for another few minutes. (It all depends on how crisp you like your broccoli to be. Alternately you could blanch the broccoli in boiling water for two minutes before adding.)
6. Serve hot, sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

 

 

VARIATIONS & SUBSTITIONS

TO LOVE

• Feel free to substitute heavy/whipping cream for the half & half/single cream. This will give you a much richer dish.
• Add some freshly grated lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice to add a bit of brightness.
• Throw in fresh herbs, or increase the amount of Italian seasoning used.
• You can vary the type of pasta but do pay attention to cook times.

This dish would be delicious served with a fresh salad and some garlic bread on the side.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

CAN THIS BE MADE AHEAD OF TIME?

You can certainly cut up all of your ingredients and have everything ready to go ahead of time. It is better however if you cook it right before you wish to eat.

CAN THIS RECIPE BE DOUBLED?

Yes, you can double this recipe. The original recipe was twice the size. I halved it for the smaller family.

DO I NEED TO USE FUSILLI PASTA?

You can use any pasta shake you wish but do bear in mind that the cook times will vary according to the shape and size of the pasta.  You do want to use a pasta that will hug the sauce so curly shapes are best.

CAN THIS BE FROZEN?

I do not recommend freezing this recipe because the cream may split.

HOW LONG WILL THIS KEEP?

This will keep for up to 3 to 4 days. Keep in a covered container in the refrigerator. Do bear in mind that the pasta will soak up the sauce as it sits. It is best eaten sooner rather than later.

    

 

A FEW MORE PASTA 

RECIPES TO ENJOY

Pasta is a great store cupboard favorite and way to stretch most ingredients to feed a family of any size. Economical and delicious. Here are a few other favorites!

 PASTA E PISELLI - Simple ingredients put together in a simple way.  Pasta, peas, water and cheese. It doesn't get any simpler or easier than this. You wouldn't think that simple things like this could come together in such a delicious way, but like magic, they do!  I love this.

BOW TIE PASTA WITH SPROUTS AND BACON - Pasta, sprouts and bacon are three of my absolute favorite things, so I just love this dish. Its a very simple recipe and goes together really quickly if you have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go. The sprouts get all caramelized on the edges, which I really love. Crisp salty bacon and those nutty crispy-tender sprouts in a creamy sauce with plenty of cheese scattered over top! What's not to love about this! 

 

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Yield: 2 - 3 servings

Author: Marie Rayner

One Pot Chicken and Broccoli Pasta

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 30 Min

A quick pantry style meal with tender chunks of chicken, pasta and crispy tender broccoli in a rich and creamy garlic sauce. Everything goes together in about 30 minutes for a delicious comfort food meal.

Ingredients

• 1 chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1/2 TBS light olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 3/4 cup (180ml) chicken stock
• 1 cup (240ml) half and half (single cream)
• 1 1/2 cups (38g) uncooked fusilli pasta
• 1 small broccoli crown, trimmed and cut into small bits
• salt and black pepper to taste
• Freshly grated parmesan cheese to serve

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the chicken, give it a good stir to coat and sauté over medium high heat for 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, chicken broth, half and half, and pasta to the saucepan. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer on medium or medium low.
3. Simmer for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the broccoli to the pan. Give everything a good stir. Cover and cook over medium low for 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Test the broccoli. If it is still too crisp, cook for another few minutes.
6. Serve hot, sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Notes

Note - If your pasta has not yet cooked and there doesn't seem to be enough liquid, you can add more chicken stock as needed, using 1/2 cup (120ml) at a time until the pasta is cooked.

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