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Chicken Broccoli Pasta

Indulge in a plate of this creamy chicken broccoli pasta, a dish that’s not only light and rich but can be whipped up in just 30 minutes. It’s the comfort of mac and cheese combined with tender chicken and fresh broccoli in a silky sauce, adding a homemade touch that outshines any store-bought counterpart.

Close up overhead photo of a large skillet full of chicken and broccoli pasta with a slotted spoon.

Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Pasta Recipe

There’s a reason boxed mac and cheese is so popular – you can’t beat pasta shells coated in a cheesy sauce! But as delicious as store-bought mac and cheese is, it’s usually pretty simple and without substance. That’s why I love this chicken broccoli pasta recipe. It is so delicious and cheesy, but also much better for you because it’s tossed with lean protein and vegetables. It’s packed with diverse flavors, making it a far more captivating dish, and making this pasta dinner is nearly as easy as preparing a boxed version!

Why You’ll Love This Broccoli Pasta Recipe

  • Quick. This recipe only takes 30 minutes to make, and it’s a complete meal.
  • Homemade. Your body and your taste buds will feel good after you eat this dish. Even though it’s lighter than the boxed version, this mac and cheese recipe is still creamy.
  • Irresistibly flavorful. The cheese sauce is rich and luxurious, the chicken is tender and juicy, and the broccoli adds the perfect element of freshness.
Overhead view of two plates of broccoli and chicken pasta, next to a bowl of broccoli, a fork, and a kitchen towel.

Broccoli Pasta Ingredients

  • Pasta shells: Medium size is best.
  • Broccoli florets 
  • Olive oil
  • Chicken breasts: Use boneless and skinless breasts.
  • Salt
  • Pepper: Make sure to use freshly cracked black pepper.
  • Milk: I use skim milk because it’s a lighter option, but you can use whole milk, too.
  • Chicken broth: Try to use a low-sodium broth/stock.
  • All-purpose flour
  • Garlic paste: You can also use minced garlic.
  • Chili powder
  • Cheddar cheese: Pre-shredded cheese works fine for this recipe, though you’ll always get the best results if you shred your own. 
Overhead view of the ingredients needed for chicken broccoli pasta: a plate with raw chicken breasts, a bowl of shredded cheddar cheese, a bowl of broccoli, a bowl of pasta shells, a bowl of milk, a jar of chicken broth, a bowl of olive oil, a bowl of flour, a bowl of garlic, and a bowl of salt, pepper, and chili powder

How to Make Chicken Broccoli Pasta

  1. Cook the pasta & broccoli. Follow the directions on the box to cook the pasta shells. Toward the end, add the broccoli to the boiling water. Drain the pasta and broccoli when they’re done cooking.
  2. Heat a skillet. While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  3. Season & cook the chicken. Coat the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook until browned, which should take about 5 minutes. 
  4. Make the sauce base. Add the milk, chicken broth, and flour to a mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Add the garlic, chili powder, salt, and pepper to the bowl. Pour the sauce into the pan with the chicken.
  5. Cook the sauce. Keep cooking the chicken and the sauce until the sauce is thickened. This should take 2-3 minutes. Stir in the pasta, broccoli, and cheddar cheese, and cook while stirring until the cheese is melted and the broccoli is heated through.
  6. Rest. Remove the pasta from the heat, let it sit for a few minutes, then stir and serve. 

Tips for Success

Here are some of my favorite tricks and tips for when you make this homemade chicken mac and cheese recipe.

  • Salt the water. Anytime you cook pasta, you should always salt the water that you cook it in. This guarantees that your pasta will absorb some seasoning, instead of just being coated in sauce.
  • Really brown the chicken. It’s important to really brown the chicken when you cook it. If chicken isn’t thoroughly browned, it won’t have a lot of flavor. Cook your chicken long enough to get a golden brown color on a few sides of each piece. If your chicken isn’t browning, turn up the heat. 
  • No lumps. Before adding the sauce to the skillet, give it a thorough whisking to make sure there are no lumps. It will be nearly impossible to get the lumps out of the sauce once it starts heating up in the pan, so make sure it’s very smooth before you cook it.
  • Add the sauce slowly. When you pour the sauce into the skillet, do so slowly, while whisking. That will keep the sauce from seizing up, clumping, or breaking apart.
A large skillet full of chicken and broccoli pasta with a slotted spoon.

FAQs

Here are some common questions that people have about this recipe.

Can you use the broccoli stems?

You can use the broccoli stems for this recipe, but I don’t recommend it. The texture isn’t as good, and I don’t think it works very well with the pasta shells.

Is the chili powder necessary? 

I really like the chili powder in this recipe, but it’s optional. If you don’t like spice, you can omit the chili powder from the dish. Or, if you’re a big fan of heat, you can add extra! 

Can you use other types of cheese?

I usually make this recipe with just cheddar cheese, but you can use any meltable cheeses that you like. If you want this dish to be a little more like a traditional Italian recipe, add a little bit of parmesan to the cheddar. If you want a super melty and stringy mac and cheese, add some jack. And if you want to make your broccoli pasta taste fancy, add a little gruyere. 

Extreme close up of chicken and broccoli pasta with shells.

Serving Suggestions

My favorite way to eat this chicken mac and cheese is with some traditional Italian side dishes. Here are a few of my favorites. 

How to Store Leftovers

  • Leftover pasta can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
  • Reheat in the microwave in 20-second increments until the pasta is heated all the way through. 
  • To freeze, let the chicken and broccoli pasta cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost or thaw the mac and cheese fully before you reheat it. 
Close up of chicken and broccoli pasta on a plate.

More Quick and Easy Pasta Recipes

Close up overhead photo of a large skillet full of chicken and broccoli pasta with a slotted spoon.

Chicken Broccoli Pasta

Katerina | Diethood
Make this Chicken Broccoli Pasta dish in just 30 minutes, and treat yourself to a homemade mac and cheese that’s rich, creamy, and delicious!
4.55 from 24 votes
Servings : 4 serves
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 8 ounces medium shells pasta, uncooked
  • 3 cups broccoli florets
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 cup skim milk
  • 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon garlic paste, or 3 teaspoons minced garlic
  • salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions
 

  • Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. Add the broccoli florets to the pasta during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain and set aside.
  • Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until browned.
  • Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, chicken broth, and flour. Add garlic, salt, pepper, and chili powder; whisk until well combined.
  • Stir the milk mixture into the pan with the chicken. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
  • Add in the pasta, broccoli, and cheddar cheese; stir until cheese is melted and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through.
  • Remove from heat and let rest for a few minutes.
  • Stir and Serve.

Video

Notes

  • Chicken: I use chicken breasts in this recipe, but you can also use chicken thighs. Most importantly, brown the chicken when you cook it. If chicken isn’t thoroughly browned, it won’t have a lot of flavor.
  • Shredded Cheese: Shredded cheddar cheese is almost always my choice for this recipe, but this will taste great with any melty cheese you want. 
  • Before adding the sauce to the skillet, whisk it well and make sure there are no lumps. When you pour the sauce into the skillet, do it slowly while whisking. That will keep the sauce from seizing up, clumping, or breaking apart.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for 4 days or in the freezer for 3 months. Reheat leftovers in the microwave in 20-second increments until warm. 

Nutrition

Calories: 636 kcal | Carbohydrates: 59 g | Protein: 44 g | Fat: 25 g | Saturated Fat: 8 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11 g | Trans Fat: 0.01 g | Cholesterol: 103 mg | Sodium: 388 mg | Potassium: 962 mg | Fiber: 4 g | Sugar: 6 g | Vitamin A: 905 IU | Vitamin C: 63 mg | Calcium: 341 mg | Iron: 2 mg

Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken broccoli pasta, creamy chicken pasta, homemade mac & cheese, mac and cheese recipe
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30 comments on “Chicken Broccoli Pasta”

  1. I come back to this delicious recipe whenever we need a good comfort meal! This is it! Just made it! Thank you!

  2. this was linked from another site featuring healthy pasta dishes, this looks wonderful so had to comment to thank you for this recipe! And will definitely stay away from the velvetta

  3. I made this tonight for dinner without the chicken and with whole milk, and it turned out great, so easy to make too!

  4. Okay Katerina, it’s me again. Clearly I am having a Julia/Julie moment & making a dish a day from your old/archived recipes (plus my name is Julie). And that’s because my husband’s overseas & I get to enter the kitchen without him freaking out (it’s sooooo his domain). This dish was excellent last night; a little bit too excellent as today I’m feeling my pants are a little snug. Anyways, a word for your readers; put the leftovers in a container & into the fridge STRAIGHT AWAY, otherwise you will be tempted to go back for a second bowl. Delicious!

    1. Katerina - Diethood
      Katerina Petrovska

      That is SO awesome, Julie!! Thank you! I LOVE this dish, too! I can’t helping eating it straight from the pan as soon as it’s done. 😀 And that whole husband in the kitchen thing is pretty amazing! GO GIRL!

  5. This looks soooo good! I love any pasta dish with cheese. And I too need a celebrity kitchen like you see on all those cooking shows. There are so many things I want… your pan looks pretty cool.

  6. Avatar photo
    Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie

    One of my favorite lazy meals is throwing veggies and chicken into boxed velveeta mac and cheese. For some reason I never make a homemade version of it. Looks great!

  7. Admittedly, I still reach back to the comfort of my college daze & grab the blue box but nothing compares to homemade macaroni and cheese. This looks just lovely!

  8. Wonderful meal to put in front of your family. It’s hard to see that silver pan when it’s so full of creamy, cheesy, chickeny, broccoli goodness. 🙂

    I can relate to ‘pan love’ as I have a Lagostina non-stick saute pan that is just right for everything from soups to the 2 dozen mussels in white wine and diced tomatoes that I made yesterday. I bought it from Costco but Canadian Tire has them on sale for pennies.

    http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/kitchen/cookware/pots-frypans/lagostina-casa-bella-5-qt-jumbo-cooker-1422405p.html?utm_campaign=bazaarvoice&utm_medium=SearchVoice&utm_source=AskAndAnswer&utm_content=Default#.U6b-XLHD_Nw

  9. Avatar photo
    Laura Dembowski

    I love this! It’s pretty healthy and easy to make. Love that the protein, vegetable, pasta, and sauce is all in one dish.

  10. Avatar photo
    Nancy P.@thebittersideofsweet

    Looks amazing my family would not be able to get enough! BTW I love that silver pan, I need to get me one of those! Have a great weekend!

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