A perfect—and perfectly balanced—easy weeknight dinner that is sure to please.
I love a one-pan pasta dinner, especially on a weeknight when I have a very hungry family but not a lot of time. One of our favorites is this chicken broccoli ziti. It is such a well-balanced meal with a protein, a vegetable, and our favorite carb. And when these three are coated with that delectably rich and creamy sauce, it’s a very happy night in my house!
While chicken and broccoli are popular around here, what we truly love about this dish is the sauce. It has the perfect amount of garlic flavor, enhanced with black pepper, and gets its richness from flavorful chicken stock combined with tangy heavy cream and salty, nutty Parmesan cheese. We recommend grating your own Parm because that will really amp up the taste.
Although you really could serve this dish to guests—it’s certainly beautiful and delicious enough—chicken broccoli ziti is a really great family meal because it’s simple to make and doesn’t require a lot of time or pots and pans. Tossing the raw broccoli into your nearly done ziti is key. Then, in one pan, you’ll cook the chicken, remove it, and make the sauce in that same pan. When that’s done, everything gets heated through, and your dish is ready.
Tube-Shaped Pastas
The type of pasta you use in a dish is critical to its success. Tube-shaped pastas, like ziti, penne, and rigatoni, are great for dishes with creamy sauces because the sauce not only coats the pasta (and other ingredients) but also nestles inside the tubes.
But how to choose, especially between the tubular pastas? Although they look similar, there are differences. Ziti and penne are very similar in size and shape, though ziti is smooth and has a straight cut, whereas penne is usually ridged and cut on the diagonal. Rigatoni is a larger pasta but with characteristics of both ziti and penne: it has straight edges and ridges. Ziti may be best known in the culinary world for the iconic Baked Ziti, but we have chosen it for this dish because we love the way its smooth texture pairs with the tender chicken and the perfectly cooked broccoli.
How Do I Store Leftovers?
Cooked and cooled chicken broccoli ziti can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw from frozen in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave.
Serving Suggestions
Chicken broccoli ziti is a dish that goes wonderfully with a side salad, either a classic Caesar Salad, a Spinach Salad, or even just a simple Green Salad (maybe tossed in this tangy Balsamic Dressing) and some great bread (Focaccia is my favorite, but you can’t go wrong with pull-apart Garlic Rolls).
When I want this to be part of a heartier meal, say in the winter when there’s nothing better than a warm, filling dinner after coming in from the cold, I like to start with a deeply flavorful and satisfying soup like this Lemon Lentil Soup or a classic Minestrone. Then I serve the chicken broccoli ziti with some really comforting sides, such as Val’s Corn Pudding and Roasted Brussels Sprouts, which we love to dip into the ziti’s creamy sauce!
Chicken Broccoli Ziti
Ingredients
- 8 ounces ziti pasta
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente.
- Three minutes before the pasta is done, add the broccoli florets to the boiling water. Drain and set aside with the pasta.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Add to the skillet and cook until golden and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add minced garlic and sauté for 30-60 seconds. Pour in chicken broth and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer and let it reduce slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Return the cooked chicken, pasta, and broccoli to the skillet. Stir in grated Parmesan cheese and mix until everything is well coated with the sauce. Cook for an additional 2 minutes to heat through.
- Serve the chicken broccoli ziti hot, garnished with extra Parmesan cheese if desired.
Leave a Comment