Get my Cookbooks! Chicken and Broccoli Pasta
This Chicken and Broccoli Pasta has every flavor element incorporated into this delicious cream sauce, including butter, white wine, garlic, lemon, Asiago and Parmesan cheese, and the best seasonings and flavor enhancers.
Be sure to try my Mushroom Chicken Pasta and Tomato Basil Pasta recipes next!
Chicken and Broccoli Pasta
It’s pretty hard to beat the layers of flavor in this creamy pasta dish. First we season chicken with lemon pepper seasoning and sear it to golden perfection, which leaves fond (i.e. flavor!) in the pot that’s deglazed with white wine, (or chicken broth if needed). From there, we add butter and garlic and create a savory cream sauce with Parmesan and Asiago cheese. A little fresh lemon juice is stirred in at the end for the perfect finishing touch.
This dish has everything you need for a complete meal that your family will want on repeat. (Feel free to serve it with a side of garlic bread with cheese!)
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Season the chicken with lemon pepper seasoning and sear it in olive oil until golden. Set aside.
Deglaze the pot with white wine and let it reduce by half. Add the butter and the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add the chicken broth and half and half in splashes, stirring continuously. Add the hot sauce and seasonings. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer while you boil the pasta to al dente. Add the broccoli to the boiling pasta water during the last 4 minutes. Drain.
Reduce heat to low and stir the Asiago and Parmesan cheese into the sauce. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice, Add the pasta, broccoli, and chicken and stir to combine.
Pro Tips
- Grate the cheese from a wedge and avoid using packaged grated cheese. It will melt and taste much better. I use Belgioioso Parmesan and Asiago cheese.
- Make sure the base of the sauce isn’t too hot when the cheese is added, or the dairy can separate and result in a grainy consistency.
- White Wine: Dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, or Pinot Grigio are best in this recipe and pair well with lemon. Chicken Broth may be used if you don’t cook with wine.
- The hot sauce is a subtle flavor enhancer and doesn’t make this spicy. I use Frank’s Hot Sauce. The mustard powder is also a flavor enhancer that can’t be tasted outright.
- Frozen broccoli may be used instead of fresh, it’s already blanched so you may want to give it 3 minutes of cooking time instead of 4.
- Use freshly squeezed lemon juice if at all possible as it has more flavor than bottled lemon juice.
- Make sure the heat is off when you add the lemon juice at the end. Add it slowly and stir in continuously to ensure it doesn’t cause the cream to curdle.
- Fresh garlic minced from cloves tastes much better than jarred garlic.
- 📘 Find this recipe on page 177 of my 2nd cookbook, Let’s Eat!
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Leftovers do reheat well.
- I find that reheating in a makeshift double boiler is the best way to restore it back to it’s original consistency.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- 3-Quart Stainless Steel Sauté Pan– The same size as pictured in this recipe.
- Cheese Grater– Always shred your cheese from a block for soups and sauces, it melts and tastes much better than packaged shredded cheese. I use Belgioioso parmesan.
- Pasta Strainer– I have this one and love it.
- Measuring Spoons– I have these magnetic ones which stay nice and organized in my utensil drawer.
- Pinch Bowls– for measuring out seasonings ahead of time.
- Redmond Real Salt Lemon Pepper Seasoning– my preferred brand for seasoning the chicken.
Try These Next
-
- Pasta Primavera
-
- Mushroom Chicken Pasta
-
- Tomato Basil Pasta
-
- Creamy Herb Chicken
-
- Baked Ravioli
-
- Pepper Steak
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Tried This Recipe?
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Chicken and Broccoli Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 large boneless skinless chicken breast
- Lemon pepper seasoning
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup dry white wine, see notes
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 ¼ cups half and half
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 2 ½ cups broccoli florets
- ¾ cup Parmesan
- ¼ cup Asiago, can also use all parmesan.
- ½ lb. Penne
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasonings
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
- Prep Work: Combine the seasoning ingredients and set aside. I recommend that you measure out the remaining ingredients as well, the recipe will be a breeze from there!
- Cut the chicken into ¾-inch pieces and season it in Lemon Pepper Seasoning. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook on each side for 2-3 minutes, until a brown crust has developed. Remove and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted pasta water to a boil while you begin to prepare the sauce as outlined below.
- Add the white wine to the same pot that you used to cook the chicken and set the heat to medium. Use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom of the pot. Let it reduce by half, about 4 minutes.
- Add the butter and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously.
- Add chicken broth in small splashes, stirring continuously. Add the half and half in the same manner, then add the hot sauce and seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover it partially.
- Boil the pasta to al dente according to package instructions. Add the broccoli to the boiling pasta water during the last 4 minutes, then drain.
- Reduce heat of sauce to low and slowly stir in the grated cheese.
- Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Add the pasta, broccoli, and the chicken and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt if desired. Serve!
Notes
- Grate the cheese from a wedge and avoid using packaged grated cheese. It will melt and taste much better. I use Belgioioso Parmesan and Asiago cheese.
- Make sure the base of the sauce isn't too hot when the cheese is added, or the dairy can separate and result in a grainy consistency.
- White Wine: Dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, or Pinot Grigio are best in this recipe and pair well with lemon. Chicken Broth may be used if you don't cook with wine.
- The hot sauce is a subtle flavor enhancer and doesn't make this spicy. I use Frank's Hot Sauce. The mustard powder is also a flavor enhancer that can't be tasted outright.
- Frozen broccoli may be used instead of fresh, it's already blanched so you may want to give it 3 minutes of cooking time instead of 4.
- 📘 Find this recipe on page 177 of my 2nd cookbook, Let's Eat!
Nutritional information is per serving, this recipe makes 4 servings.
Nutrition
Made this for 8 servings for my Yankee Swap girlies. Was very good. Next time I will not cook the broccoli as long because it was over cooked by the time the penne cooked..Maybe just blanch the broccoli and add it to sauce with penne at the end just before serving. I will make it again.
So glad you loved it Deb!! People vary in terms of how much they like their broccoli cooked for sure, a super recent comment said it wasn’t done enough. Most find it perfect! 😉 Thank you for the review!