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RECIPE IS BELOW IN PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD BUT BLOG POST IS FULL OF “HOW TO MAKE IT”, TIPS, INFORMATION AND FAQ
I’ve been told that people over 29 should give up pasta! I just can’t give up pasta and it’s not ever gonna happen. I can’t give it up when there are amazing dishes out there like this homemade Chicken and Broccoli Penne Alfredo!
Of course you don’t have to make this with chicken or the broccoli! The sauce and pasta are perfect on their own!
It’s so good that you’re going to be begging for seconds!
What you’ll need to make Chicken and Broccoli Penne Alfredo: (Full recipe at bottom)
- boneless skinless chicken breast, diced or cubed
- broccoli florets
- Olive Oil
- penne pasta
- butter
- heavy cream
- paprika
- garlic, minced
- white pepper (or black pepper)
- freshly grated Parmesan
- Extra Grated Parmesan for garnish
That does look like a long list doesn’t it? Ok, look at the photo below. The items you need look a lot less intimidating when they’re in a photo, don’t ya think?
How do you make Chicken and Broccoli Penne Alfredo?
Cook pasta in a large pot filled with salted water.
Bring pasta to a boil and cook for 12-15 minutes or until pasta is done. Drain and pour back into pot.
While the pasta is cooking, add the chicken to a skillet with a little olive oil.
Cook on high for a few minutes to crispy the sides and then and cook over medium heat until cooked throughout.
Cook the broccoli florets. I normally just add them all to a pot of water and heat for about 4-5 minutes until they’re tender and bright green.
Remove from heat and drain. Gently rinse in cool water. set aside.
FOR THE ALFREDO SAUCE:
Add the butter and heavy cream to a sauce pan or skillet.!
Add in the paprika, pepper and garlic. Whisk together.
Heat over medium to high heat until hot.
Add grated Parmesan and whisk until melted.
Raise the heat until the sauce starts to boil and then turn the heat off. Whisk well. Sauce should thicken as the cheese melts but won’t be super thick.
Add the sauce to the pasta. Toss to coat. Add in the Broccoli and chicken and stir to combine.
Garnish with Extra Grated Parmesan.
NOTES
Big Bear’s Wife Tip: After this sits in the fridge it does get rather thick. I find that a splash of milk or cream before re-heating helps!
Quick Glance Chicken and Broccoli Penne Alfredo FAQ:
- Do I have to use Penne Pasta? Nope. Any small/medium pasta will work
- Can I use jarred Alfredo sauce? Sure can! However, remember that all jarred sauce is not created equal. Make sure it’s a jarred alfredo that you like.
More Chicken and broccoli recipes you will love:
Chicken and Broccoli Penne Alfredo
Chicken and Broccoli Penne Alfredo
Ingredients
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breast, diced or cubed
- 3-4 cups broccoli florets
- Olive Oil
- 16 oz penne pasta
- 2 sticks of butter (1 cup)
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons white pepper (or black pepper)
- 2 cups freshly grated Parmesan
- Extra Grated Parmesan for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Cook pasta in a large pot filled with salted water.
Bring pasta to a boil and cook for 12-15 minutes or until pasta is done. Drain and pour back into pot. While the pasta is cooking, add the chicken to a skillet with a little olive oil.
Cook on high for a few minutes to crispy the sides and then and cook over medium heat until cooked throughout.
Cook the broccoli florets. I normally just add them all to a pot of water and heat for about 4-5 minutes until they're tender and bright green.
Remove from heat and drain. Gently rinse in cool water. set aside.
For the Alfredo sauce:
Add the butter and heavy cream to a sauce pan or skillet.
Add in the paprika, pepper and garlic. Whisk together.
Heat over medium to high heat until hot.
Add grated Parmesan and whisk until melted.
Raise the heat until the sauce starts to boil and then turn the heat off. Whisk well. Sauce should thicken as the cheese melts but won't be super thick.
Add the sauce to the pasta. Toss to coat. Add in the Broccoli and chicken and stir to combine.
Garnish with Extra Grated Parmesan!
Notes
Big Bear's Wife Tip: After this sits in the fridge it does get rather thick. I find that a splash of milk or cream before re-heating helps!
If you make this recipe, snap a picture and share it on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter with the hashtag #bigbearswife —
I love to see what you’re cooking from the blog!
An old photo <3
Love it? Pin it!
Never EVER let go of pasta! Especially when it’s this creamy dreamy 🙂
I could never give up pasta!
Dude. 1) 30 is not old. 2) Never give up pasta. EVER.
This. Looks. So. Good. I want some right now!
Oh yeah, I can definitely see myself begging for seconds after a dish of this! And let me just tell you, those thoughts you’re turning around in your head won’t change much in the next ten years. I feel the same in my 39th year. 😉
Seriously – 30 is NOT old (and I’ve got OVER a decade on you!) This recipe is perfection!
Comfort to me is heavy cream in a recipe and lots of cheese so I say, winning!
I’m never, ever giving it up either! I could eat it every day of the week! Your sauce is fantastic, Angie! And 30 is soooo young and fun!!
I don’t care how old I am, I am *not* giving up pasta. Eveh! And my husband’s Italian… so if I did, that would not be so good for me. 🙂 This looks delicious! Kristi @ Inspiration Kitchen
Pasta is my whole life, not even kidding. I love it way too much. This one is heavenly. I’m 46 and the fun part of getting older is not giving a rip about rules or calories, lol.
Pasta is my whole life, not even kidding. I love it way too much.
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Seriously – 30 is NOT old (and I’ve got OVER a decade on you!) This recipe is perfection!
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I don’t care how old I am, I am *not* giving up pasta. Eveh! And my husband’s Italian… so if I did, that would not be so good for me. 🙂 This looks delicious! Kristi @ Inspiration Kitchen
Dude. 1) 30 is not old. 2) Never give up pasta. EVER.
This looks and sounds wonderful…can’t wait to make it for my family.
This looks INCREDIBLE! I’m Italian and I swear, pasta basically runs through my veins so there’s no way I could give it up 😉 There is nothing better than classic chicken broccoli alfredo!
So I’m Italian and I can cook several fabulous Italian meals, EXCEPT chicken and broccoli Alfredo! I was very excited to try this recipe and when I added the cheese (grated it myself!) it clumped together and the sauce was chunky… what am I doing wrong? Is it a cheap brand of cheese or is the heat to high? Help!
Hi Jayme,
Without being in the kitchen with you when you were making it I can’t tell you exactly what you did wrong. But if I were making it and the cheese clumped together and was chunky, I would add a splash or two more of heavy cream and whisk it until it’s smooth over medium heat. The cheese is normally chunky until it melts all the way down. What kind of Parmesan did you use?
This was amazing! I love alfredo but don’t make it often because it doesn’t reheat well. I seasoned the chicken with paprika and italian seasoning and cooked over medium heat. I add the broccoli to the pasta water the last three minutes of cooking time. I halved the recipe and added no paprika to the sauce, just a pinch of nutmeg. Wonderful recipe! We loved it!
I made this last night. I actually cut the recipe in half. I used half and half as I did not have heavy cream. I also added red chili flakes and some Trader Joe’s 21 seasoning salute. It was very tasty
ooo I love the idea of using the Trader Joe’s seasoning!
Shortcut tip. I added broccoli flower êtes at the end of the pasta boiling pot just to green it up and slightly cook to my taste, then drained pasta and broccoli together into colander. No separate pot necessary for the broccoli. Easy clean up,
Could you use fresh broccoli florets?
You can.
Super good we did fettuccine noodles and it turned out amazing
First of all I do not comment ever!!! This was absolutely delicious!! The paprika really makes it I would never have thought to use!! Thank you for sharing 5 stars