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a bowl of chicken and broccoli pasta
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4.80 from 20 votes

One Pot Chicken and Broccoli Pasta

This one pot chicken and broccoli pasta recipe is a quick pantry meal, and you will love the creamy garlic sauce! It's ready in 30 minutes for a lighter comfort food meal.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Pasta
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken and broccoli pasta
Servings: 4
Author: Natasha Bull

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts cut into bite-size strips/pieces
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
  • 1.5 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups half-and-half
  • 3 cups uncooked fusilli pasta 
  • 2 cups broccoli florets cut small
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving, optional, to taste

Instructions

  • Add the chicken to a Dutch oven or soup 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, red pepper flakes, chicken broth, half-and-half, and pasta to the pot. Increase the heat to high and bring to a gentle boil, then 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 pot.
  • Add the broccoli to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and cook for 4-5 minutes. 
  • Season the pasta generously with salt & pepper. If the broccoli is still too crisp, cook it for another couple of minutes. Serve immediately with freshly grated parmesan. 

Notes

  • This is a basic, kid-friendly recipe. If you want to jazz it up a bit, there's some tips in the blog post, and be sure to add the crushed red pepper flakes.
  • This recipe is accurate as tested on my stove. However, stoves and pots 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 or you may need to make some adjustments to liquid and/or cooking time.
  • The broccoli is tender-crisp in this recipe. Be sure not to cut the florets too large unless you prefer it to be crisper.
  • Using half-and-half makes the sauce a bit lighter than using heavy cream, but you could sub it for heavy cream if you like.

Nutrition

Calories: 510kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 116mg | Sodium: 552mg | Potassium: 851mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 787IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 176mg | Iron: 2mg