Chicken Pasta Bake with Broccoli

Chicken Pasta Bake with Broccoli is really versatile and it's family friendly too. It's one of those dishes that you can make depending on what you have in the fridge. It's perfect for busy weeknights and is a great one pot dish.

What are the ingredients?

For this recipe I've used 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs. Thighs have great flavour and retain their natural moisture when cooking. You could substitute the thighs with 600g of breast meat, if you prefer.

I've also used 200g of lardons or smoked bacon, chopped. Bacon goes so well with chicken and it's a must in our house!

For the vegetables you will need an onion, a clove of garlic, 100g of mushrooms and about half a head of broccoli, about 150g..

I've used fusilli in this dish but use whatever you have or prefer.

To make the sauce you will need 2 tablespoons of basil pesto, 1 tablespoon of flour, 500g of chicken stock and 2 tablespoons of creme fraiche.

For baking I've used 125g pack of mozzarella and 30g of grated Parmesan.

How to make this Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake

I find that if I use lardons or a streaky type of bacon, then I don't need to add extra oil but I do get some extra flavour. Start by cooking some onion, lardons and mushrooms together until soft  for a few minutes then add some crushed garlic for a minute. Set aside.

Chop up the broccoli quite small and steam or boil for a couple of minutes. I find it's easier to put it in the microwave sprinkled with water and covered. Cook the pasta, according to packet instructions and drain.

In the original pan over a medium heat, add in the chicken thigh pieces and cook for about 5 minutes.

Stir in some green pesto for a minute then sprinkle on the flour. Gradually stir in the chicken stock until thickened and return the bacon mixture to the pan with the broccoli and drained pasta.

Add the creme fraiche and season to taste.

Enjoy straightaway or sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan and bake for 15 minutes at 180 C.

Variations on this Chicken Pasta Bake

Aside from swapping the thighs for chicken breast, you can also use leftover roast chicken. In this case, leave the veggies in the pan and add the chicken for a couple of minutes before adding the pesto.

Got leftover ham? Use ham in place of the bacon or try some slices of chorizo sausage instead.

Swap your mushrooms or broccoli for green beans, fresh or frozen, sweetcorn, peppers, courgettes/zucchini or sun-dried tomatoes.

Other one-pot dinners to try

• Chicken and Chorizo Pasta
• Cassoulet with Chicken and Sausage
• Lemon Garlic Sheet Pan Dinner
• Creamy Chicken with Sun-dried Tomatoes
• Chicken Enchiladas From Scratch
• Tandoori Chicken Bake
• Asian Roast Chicken

Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake

Amanda Wren-Grimwood

Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake. This is an easy dish with bacon and mushrooms which can be served straight away or baked in the oven.

5 from 7 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 45 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4

Calories 1247 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 8 chicken thighs boned skinned and cut into small chunks
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 clove of garlic crushed
• 8 mushrooms sliced
• 200 g lardons or smoked bacon
• 300 g pasta shapes
• ½ head broccoli florets quartered
• 2 tbsp basil pesto
• 30 g grated Parmesan
• 125 g ball of Mozzarella grated
• 1 tbsp flour
• 500 g chicken stock
• 2 tbsp creme fraiche

Instructions

 

• Dry fry the onion, lardons and mushrooms for a few minutes until soft then add the garlic for one minute. Set aside in a separate dish.
• Add the oil and fry the chicken for a few minutes until just cooked then add the pesto.
• While the chicken is cooking steam the broccoli for a couple of minutes and cook the pasta.
• Sprinkle the flour over the chicken mixture and cook for one minute.
• Gradually add the stock and bring to the boil to thicken.
• Return the bacon mixture to the pan and add the broccoli and cooked pasta.
• Serve immediately or sprinkle with the Parmesan and Mozzarella and bake for 15 minutes at 180 C or a few minutes under the grill.

Nutrition Facts

Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake

Amount Per Serving

Calories 1247 Calories from Fat 666

% Daily Value*

Fat 74g114%

Saturated Fat 24g150%

Cholesterol 293mg98%

Sodium 1102mg48%

Potassium 1301mg37%

Carbohydrates 74g25%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 8g9%

Protein 70g140%

Vitamin A 1133IU23%

Vitamin C 71mg86%

Calcium 339mg34%

Iron 4mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notes

Use 3 chicken breasts or leftover cooked meat

Keyword broccoli, chicken, pasta bake

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