Description
A comforting and quick dish combining creamy sauce, tender rotisserie chicken, and nutritious broccoli with perfectly cooked penne.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb penne pasta
- 1 whole rotisserie chicken (3–4 lbs, shredded, about 4 cups meat)
- 4 cups broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 medium yellow onion (diced small)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup chicken broth (low-sodium)
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (whole milk, shredded)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook penne pasta according to package instructions until al dente. In the last 3 minutes of cooking, toss in the broccoli florets directly into the pasta water.
- Before draining, reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water in a measuring cup. Drain the pasta and broccoli mixture and set aside.
- In your largest skillet, heat olive oil and butter over medium-low heat. Sauté diced onion for about 4-5 minutes until softened. Add in minced garlic for an additional 30 seconds, stirring until fragrant.
- Pour in the heavy cream and chicken broth, letting the mixture simmer gently for 2-3 minutes. Remove the skillet from heat to add the cheeses—whisk in the Parmesan and mozzarella until fully melted and combined.
- Season with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes. Toss in the drained pasta and broccoli, mixing gently to coat everything in the sauce. Fold in the shredded rotisserie chicken last.
- Stir in the reserved pasta water as needed to achieve your desired consistency. Add a cold knob of butter just before serving.
Notes
For a lighter version, consider swapping the heavy cream for half-and-half or reduced-fat cheeses.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 600
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 850mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 64g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 100mg
Keywords: Rotisserie chicken, pasta, creamy sauce, quick dinner, family meal