Description
A quick and indulgent pasta dish featuring creamy sauce, tender penne, rotisserie chicken, and fresh broccoli.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb penne pasta
- 1 whole rotisserie chicken (3–4 lbs, shredded, about 4 cups of meat)
- 4 cups broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic (minced fine)
- 1 medium yellow onion (diced small)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup whole milk mozzarella cheese (shredded)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the penne pasta according to package instructions until al dente.
- In the last three minutes of cooking, add the broccoli florets to the pasta water.
- Reserve 1 cup of starchy pasta water before draining the pasta and broccoli together.
- Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Sauté diced onion for 4-5 minutes until softened, then add minced garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Pour in the heavy cream and chicken broth, simmering gently for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and whisk in grated Parmesan and mozzarella until smooth.
- Season the sauce with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes.
- Add drained pasta and broccoli to the sauce, tossing to coat.
- Fold in shredded rotisserie chicken, adding reserved pasta water as needed for desired creaminess.
- Stir in a cold knob of butter before serving.
Notes
For extra flavor, use a seasoned rotisserie chicken. Freshly grated cheese works best for a smooth sauce.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
Keywords: pasta, chicken, creamy sauce, weeknight dinner, family meal