CREAMY BROCCOLI CHICKEN PASTA WITH A HOMEMADE ALFREDO SAUCE 

This one is a creamy broccoli chicken pasta with a homemade alfredo sauce. It’s a super simple recipe, and a really good one if you’re cooking for a bigger group. All I can say it that it’s addicting. I made 2 TRAYS of it, and it was gone within 20 minutes… definitely give this one a try!

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 lb penne pasta
2 heads of broccoli 
1 cup grated parm
1C milk
Red pepper flakes

The sauce:
1 diced yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 cup heavy cream
1/2 stick butter
3/4 C flour 
2 C milk
Parm and mozz about 1/2 cup of each 
EVO

This has been made with store-bought or homemade alfredo sauce so completely up to you. If you used store-bought, make sure it is two jars of bertolli alfredo sauce (make sure it is the one without garlic.) 

Step 1: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Wash chicken and add to a sheet pan. Drizzle with some olive oil, S/P and cook for 12 min. It can be a little pink inside since it goes back in the oven again later. Let cool and chop into bite-sized pieces.

Step 2: 
Cook pasta. Wash and cut up broccoli.  Cook until you can pierce with a fork

Step 3: 
Make your alfredo sauce if you are doing it from scratch. Add onion, garlic and EVO to a pan. Cook until tender and then turn heat off. Let pan cool slightly (since you will be adding cream to the pan this helps to make sure your cream doesnt curdle). In a bowl, combine flour and heavy cream and whisk. Turn your heat to low and add the mixture. Cook, stirring constantly until it comes to a low simmer. Season with more plenty of salt and pepper to taste. As sauce begins to thicken, add in cheese and butter to desired creamy consistency. Add re pepper flakes for a little kick.

Step 4:
Place cooked pasta in a deep 9x13 pan & add 1/2 cup of parm and lightly cover the top with fresh ground black pepper. Add the chicken and the alfredo sauce then your 1 cup of milk to the pan. Stir that all together. Gently mix in the broccoli, sprinkle a little more parmesan cheese on top. Cover tightly with tin foil. Bake at 350 for 35-40 min or until hot in center. Be careful you don't overcook it as it will dry it out. Next time I would add breadcrumbs to the top.