Description
A comforting pasta dish with creamy sauce, tender rotisserie chicken, and fresh broccoli, perfect for a weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb penne pasta
- 1 whole rotisserie chicken (3–4 lbs, shredded, about 4 cups 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 chicken broth (low-sodium)
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (whole milk, 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 and cook penne pasta according to the package directions until al dente. During the last 3 minutes of cooking, add the broccoli florets directly to the pasta water.
- Reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water before draining the pasta and broccoli together. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil and butter over medium-low heat. Cook the diced onion for 4-5 minutes until softened, then add the minced garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in the heavy cream and chicken broth, bringing the mixture to a gentle simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from heat and whisk in the Parmesan and mozzarella until the sauce is smooth. Season with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- Add the drained pasta and broccoli to the creamy sauce and toss to coat evenly. Fold in the shredded rotisserie chicken.
- Add reserved pasta water, 2 tablespoons at a time, until you achieve a creamy consistency. Stir in a knob of butter just before serving.
Notes
For a gluten-free version, substitute penne with gluten-free pasta. To customize, add herbs or swap cheese types.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 600
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 40g
- Cholesterol: 90mg