Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo
Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo recipe makes a complete comfort food meal in only 30 minutes! Tender chicken, fresh broccoli, and pasta all coated in a creamy from-scratch sauce.
Servings: 4 servings (approximately 1 ½ - 1 ¾ cups each)
Calories: 996kcal
Ingredients
- 8 ounces penne pasta
- 3 cups broccoli florets cut into bite size (approximately 1 inch) pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1½ pounds (approximately 2 large) boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces (approximately 1 inch)
- 1 teaspoon salt divided (½ teaspoon to season chicken pieces before cooked and ½ teaspoon for the alfredo sauce)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 5 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1½ cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese BelGioioso brand 4 ounce container
Instructions
- To a large pot of boiling water, add the penne pasta and cook to al dente (approximately 9-11 minutes or according to package directions).8 ounces penne pasta
- 2-3 minutes before the end of the cooking time for the penne pasta, add the broccoli florets to the boiling pasta and allow the broccoli to cook for the remaining 2-3 minutes of the pasta cooking time. The broccoli florets should be bright green and tender. Drain the pasta and broccoli florets into a large colander, in the sink, and set aside.3 cups broccoli florets
- While the pasta is cooking, heat a large 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil to the hot skillet along with the boneless skinless chicken breast pieces. Season the chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and black pepper.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Cook the chicken pieces for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and no pink remains. Transfer the cooked, and browned, chicken to a plate and set aside.1½ pounds (approximately 2 large) boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Turn the heat to the skillet down to medium and add the butter and minced garlic. Allow the butter to melt, and the garlic to become fragrant and tender, for 30 - 45 seconds before adding the all-purpose flour, remaining ½ teaspoon salt and garlic powder. Using a whisk, cook the butter and flour mixture for 30 - 45 seconds or just until no dry pockets of flour remains. The flour mixture should be a pale golden color.5 tablespoons salted butter, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- Slowly pour in the whole milk and heavy cream, while whisking constantly, until all the flour is incorporated and no lumps remain.1½ cups whole milk, 1 cup heavy cream
- Bring the alfredo sauce to a boil and allow it to simmer for 2 minutes or until thickened. Whisk in the grated parmesan cheese and cook for an additional 1 minute. Be sure to whisk often to ensure the sauce does not burn.1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Turn off the heat to the skillet, add the penne pasta, broccoli florets and cooked chicken to the alfredo sauce. Stir to evenly coat the pasta, broccoli and chicken with the alfredo sauce before serving.
Notes
Storage:
- To Store: You can store leftovers in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to 2 days for best results.
- To Freeze: I do not suggest freezing this chicken and broccoli penne pasta as the sauce does not hold up well when frozen then thawed. The dairy in the sauce tends to separate during this process.
- To Reheat: To reheat this pasta you can add it back to a skillet, over medium-low heat, along with a couple tablespoons of additional whole milk. Stir the pasta and sauce until warmed through.
- Save some of the starchy pasta water before draining your noodles. If your sauce seems a bit too thick, whisk a splash of the reserved pasta water into it. It helps create a velvety texture and allows the sauce to cling beautifully to the pasta. Alternatively, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of additional whole milk to the warm sauce to thin the sauce slightly.
- Feel free to add crushed red pepper flakes to your chicken broccoli Alfredo for a bit of heat.
- Feel free to mix some additional vegetables into this dish, such as peas, spinach, kale, mushrooms, roasted red peppers, or cauliflower.
Nutrition
Calories: 996kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 58g | Fat: 58g | Saturated Fat: 30g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 246mg | Sodium: 1406mg | Potassium: 1238mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2154IU | Vitamin C: 64mg | Calcium: 436mg | Iron: 2mg