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One Pot Chicken and Broccoli Pasta

Published: / Updated: / 66 Comments

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This one pot chicken and broccoli pasta is quick, easy, and you will love the creamy garlic sauce! Ready in 30 minutes.

For more chicken and broccoli goodness, try my Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Bake next.

one-pot chicken broccoli pasta on a plate with grated parmesan

I'm pleased with this creamy chicken and broccoli pasta! I think that it'll appeal to quite a lot of people. Chicken and broccoli are perennial favorites, and one pot meals are so convenient.

This chicken and broccoli recipe isn't fancy, but it's one of those stick-to-your-ribs kinda meals. Perfect for Canadian February days. I won't say this pasta is super healthy, but I did replace heavy cream with half-and-half, so it is definitely lighter than it could be.

Love broccoli? Try my Easy Creamy Shrimp and Broccoli Pasta, my Simple Sausage and Broccoli Pasta, this Easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe, or my Healthy Broccoli Salad. 

a pot with chicken broccoli pasta

How do you make one pot pasta?

Start by sautéing the chicken. You then add garlic, the liquid ingredients, and the pasta. The starch in the pasta will release and thicken the sauce as it cooks. Stir it occasionally, and pretty soon you'll see it transform!

I like to wait until towards the end to add more delicate ingredients that tend to overcook (broccoli in this case).

earthenware plate with chicken broccoli pasta

I'll admit I'm not always chicken's #1 fan, but even I couldn't resist sneaking a few bites of this chicken pasta recipe before it made it to a plate.

I like making one pot pasta recipes every now and then because 1) fewer dishes and 2) the magical way the starch in the pasta thickens up the sauce. When you get the liquid ratios correct, magic happens. 🙂

plate of chicken broccoli pasta with grated parmesan beside a cloth napkin and parsley sprigs for garnish

I added some red pepper flakes for a pop of spice and color, but feel free to leave those out if you'd prefer. I was actually considering grating a little bit of lemon zest on at the end, but I totally forgot.

Typical me, I come up with all these ideas and then forget to do them once I'm actually in the kitchen. Anyway, that's an option if you're interested. 😉

Other one pot pasta recipes you may like:

close-up of pot with chicken broccoli pasta and a wooden cooking spoon

Hope you try this one pot broccoli and chicken pasta! 

Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions.

This one pot chicken and broccoli pasta is quick, easy, and you will love the creamy garlic sauce! Ready in 30 minutes.

One Pot Chicken and Broccoli Pasta

This one pot chicken and broccoli pasta is quick, easy, and you will love the creamy garlic sauce! 
4.91 from 11 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Pasta
Cuisine American
Servings 4

Ingredients
 

  • 2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-size strips
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 dashes Italian seasoning
  • 1 (10 fluid ounce) can chicken broth
  • 2 cups half-and-half
  • 3 cups uncooked fusilli pasta 
  • 1 small head broccoli cut into florets
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Red pepper flakes to taste 
  • Freshly grated parmesan cheese to taste

Instructions
 

  • Prep your chicken. Add it to a large pot along with the olive oil. Give it a good stir and sauté over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes.
  • Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, chicken broth, half-and-half, and pasta to the pot. Increase the heat to high and bring to a gentle boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium (or medium-low if it is still bubbling a lot). Let it simmer for 8 minutes, giving it the occasional stir so the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
  • Meanwhile, prep your broccoli. Keep in mind that the smaller you chop the florets, the softer it'll be once the pasta is cooked (I prefer mine fairly crisp so don't cut them too small).
  • Add the broccoli to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and cook for 4-5 minutes. 
  • Season the pasta with salt & pepper, and add the red pepper flakes if using. If the broccoli is still too crisp, cook it for another couple of minutes. Serve immediately with fresh parmesan. 

Notes

  • This recipe is accurate as tested on my stove. However, stoves (especially electric ones) can vary, so if you notice the pasta is not yet cooked and there doesn't seem to be enough liquid, I suggest using your best judgment and adding a bit more liquid as needed, a half cup at a time until the pasta is cooked. 
  • Some pastas absorb more liquid than others, so I suggest sticking to the type of pasta I recommend in this recipe.
Keyword chicken and broccoli pasta
Author Natasha Bull
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  2. AngelaML says

    5 stars
    Thank you Natasha for this lighter creamy one pot meal. It was so delicious and I did so many things wrong, and yet we still all loved it!

    I had chicken already cooked so we used that. I had stored it in a quart sized container so it was probably more than the recipe called for. I also put the cooked chicken in too soon. Here in the US pasta comes standard in 16 oz box/bag which is 4 cups. So I used all of it because I didn't want to waste pasta. I did add more liquid to account for that, but in the end I didn't add enough. Leftovers were great as we could add more liquid when reheating it. So I added a big note to myself to REALLY add more liquid next time and watch it more closely (as you wisely had noted we should do).

    Looking forward to making it again! This is one of my favorite restaurant meals so it's great to be able to make it easily at home.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi, I heard Silk brand makes a dairy-free whipping cream you could try maybe? You could try more broth, but I really can't say how it would be since the half-and-half is quite a large component of this recipe, and I haven't tested alternatives.

      Reply

      • Natasha says

        It's half cream and half milk. I know... it's so confusing what creams are called outside one's own country. I'm Canadian, and I try to write this website for a US audience, and I had to learn the differences. Not sure what the Aussie equivalent is called/if it exists. A lighter cream would work too!

        Reply

      • Andrea says

        I would maybe try coconut milk/cream instead. I have made a cabonara with the coconut cream and it was amazing, only a small hint of the coconut.

        Reply

        • Nikki says

          Non dairy creamer in the coffee creamer section!! This is my go to for milk in most of my recipes!!

          Reply

  5. Russell Mead says

    5 stars
    This is a staple in our kitchen! I use more garlic and Italian seasoning. Then I add cheese in the process of cooking the pasta. This makes the sauce cheesy and thicker. Awesome recipe!!!

    Reply

  6. Jo says

    5 stars
    I made this dairy free and gluten free. I replaced the half and half with full fat coconut milk then added a splash (about 1.5 tsp) of vinegar to offset the coconut taste and used Ronzoni gluten free pasta. I added lots of garlic and Italian seasoning since I did not add the cheese. It came out very creamy and tasty. This is definitely a keeper!

    Reply

  7. Kristen says

    4 stars
    This was really tasty! I’m commenting because I had to make a few substitutions and it still came out really good- I used 2% milk instead of half and half, and whole wheat pasta instead of regular [...]. I added a little butter to make up for the missing fat from the half and half and extra Parmesan- yum! Also for reference 3 cups of dry pasta works out to about half a box- that always throws me when I’m seeing if I have what I need for the recipe.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      So glad it worked out for you!! Thank you for leaving me a comment. 🙂 (I edited your comment because bloggers have been told not to use buzzwords associated w. the current events as it could negatively impact our search rankings).

      Reply

  8. Aaron says

    5 stars
    I'm a kid and I cooked this meal with help from my dad. My family LOVE this Recipie. I now want this every night! So thanks for the AMAZING recipie.😁

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi Caroline, that's actually really hard for me to answer... especially in a recipe like this one that's done in one pot. The liquid measurements really matter, and the half-and-half reduces and mixes with the starch released from the pasta to make a nice sauce. I really couldn't speculate without testing, unfortunately. If there's a product you use and like that replaces cream/milk/etc., then you could definitely give it a try.

      Reply

      • Michelle Rebelo says

        My husband can’t do heavy cream which I know this recipe doesn’t call for but I found lactose free half and half I think made by silk. I hope other people see this and it helps. Thanks for the recipe. Going to try tonight.

        Reply

  10. Lissa says

    5 stars
    I am sitting at my table right now and loving this casserole!! It was so easy and quick to make. This is definitely going into our weekly rotation.

    Reply

  11. Emilie Jeanne Roy says

    Hi, I was wondering what I could do if it came out really liquidy? could I add flour or cornstarch to thicken the sauce up? Thanks

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      I’ve only tested it with half and half, so I would recommend mixing half cream with half milk. You could try with just milk, but I can’t be sure of the results. Let me know how it goes!

      Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi Susan! Thank you!! Good question.. I haven't tested it. I think it should be fine. They may go a bit more soggy, but other than that, I don't see why it wouldn't work. Let me know!

      Reply

  15. Moira says

    Hi, I'm excited to try this recipe! Do you think it would work with a lentil pasta? Or do you need the starch for the sauce? Thank you!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi Moira! Hmmm that's a toughie. I've never cooked with lentil pasta, so I can't really speculate unfortunately. I know chickpea pasta can thicken sauces up, but not sure about the lentils. The starch in this recipe definitely impacts the sauce quite a bit. If you do try, let me know how it goes!

      Reply

  16. Ali says

    Looks good! I have some already crooked and shredded chicken I need to use up, I wonder if I could use that? Still put it in at the beginning (obviously it doesn't actually need to be cooked through, just warmed up) or later on maybe? Also, is it 3 cups of pasta before being cooked?

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi Ali! Sure, I'd add the chicken in towards the end. 3 cups uncooked pasta. Just updated the recipe card to make it more clear. Let me know how you like the recipe!

      Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi! I’m not sure reheating the broccoli or that sauce would be ideal. I think the taste would be ok, but the texture may change a bit.

      Reply