Easy Broccoli Chicken Pasta Recipe with Creamy Ricotta

Delicious Pasta with Broccoli and Chicken

Hi guys, I’m Laura Batali and I’m in this episode. I’m going to show you how to make a really delicious pasta with broccoli and chicken and a big ofta. It’s delicious.

Broccoli and chicken pasta ingredients

Why You’ll Love This

It’s a take on what my aunt, my demi mama, loves to make. She was here in the past spring and she made this pasta dish with regard to and spinach a lot, which is basically the exact same recipe I’m showing you with the exception of I swap the spinach for broccoli and I added some sauteed chicken just to add some protein and bulk it up a little bit. If you enjoy quick pasta dishes, you might also like our easy creamy beef pasta recipe. We have loved it. My sister loves it. It’s one of our favorite things now, so I’m thrilled to share it with you. This is very fast. It’s very fast by the time it takes for the pasta to cook, everything else will be done at the same time.

Ingredients for broccoli and chicken pasta

Ingredients

  • Your pasta choice (rigatone)
  • Broccoli florets, chopped nice and fine
  • Good olive oil, extra virgin (about three tablespoons)
  • Chopped or diced or minced chicken (chicken breast)
  • Any garlic and herbs seasoning that you like or any all-purpose seasoning of your choice
  • Fresh garlic
  • Ricotta
  • Lemon
  • Parmigiano
  • Salt
  • Starchy cooking water (from pasta)
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Cooking pasta with broccoli and chicken

Instructions

  1. You’ve got a large pot with boiling water to it.
  2. Add your pasta choice.
  3. Add some broccoli florets.
  4. To a large skillet, something that’s big enough to hold everything in, add some good olive oil, extra virgin.
  5. Add some chopped or diced or minced chicken. For other quick protein options, check out our easy garlic butter steak bites.
  6. Season it with any garlic and herbs seasoning that you like or any all-purpose seasoning of your choice.
  7. Let the chicken cook gently.
  8. Chop up some fresh garlic.
  9. Grate in some garlic.
  10. Add a little salt.
  11. Give it a good stir.
  12. Take the broccoli and pasta a couple minutes shy of being ready for the cooked.
  13. Add it right into the skillet with the chicken, creating a flavorful base much like our easy homemade spaghetti marinara.
  14. Add a little bit, a starchy cooking water to lift any bits at the bottom.
  15. Do a little lemon zest at this point.
  16. Let everything cook together for about a minute.
  17. Stir in the ricotta, Parmigiano.
  18. Turn it off.
  19. Add lots of freshly ground black pepper.

Finished broccoli and chicken pasta

Cooking Tips

If you like your broccoli, crisp tender, wait a little, wait a few minutes and then add it in. Chicken breast really needs fat. When you grate it as you know, it becomes much, much stronger and I like garlic, of course, but oh, that’s a whole big giant piece. I like it all, big like that, but you also have to be careful that you don’t burn it. Also, if you’ve noticed, when my poultry is cooked, I always switch to a clean wooden spoon or a clean utensil because I don’t want to mix raw with cooked and then it’s, you know, you know how I am. This ensures safety for all poultry dishes, including when making easy crispy air fryer fried chicken. That’s just the way that I am, I should say. If you do, you can add the broccoli in the last couple of minutes of the pasta cooking, but that’s not the vibe. You can skip lemon zest if you want to. Now if you wanted to, you could certainly leave the ricotta out, but it’s just so delicious. It gets everything to be really creamy, and meld everything together, and I just love it.

Serving Suggestions

I love the addition of the chicken, just because it kind of makes it into one really easy pasta dish that is also filled with protein, and I don’t have to worry so much about having to make some on the side, because some things just don’t feel like it, but we all know that protein does keep you full. For another hearty and quick meal, try our easy homemade hamburger helper recipe.

That is done, it’s easy, what was that, I don’t know, 15, 20 minutes, if that, and it’s a divine. That is done. I hope it would be just my time with me, and I will see you next time, bye.

Easy Broccoli Chicken Pasta with Creamy Ricotta

This quick and delicious pasta dish features tender broccoli and savory chicken, all brought together with a creamy ricotta sauce. It’s a comforting and protein-packed meal that comes together in about 20 minutes, perfect for a weeknight dinner.

  • 12 ounces (340g) your choice of pasta (rigatoni suggested)
  • 2 cups broccoli florets, chopped nice and fine
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped, diced, or minced
  • 1 teaspoon garlic and herbs seasoning or all-purpose seasoning of your choice
  • 3-4 cloves fresh garlic, minced or grated
  • 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 1 lemon, for zest
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1/2 cup starchy pasta cooking water, as needed
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
  2. Add your pasta choice to the boiling water. Cook according to package directions, but remove a couple minutes shy of being fully al dente. Add the broccoli florets to the pasta water about 2-3 minutes before the pasta is done cooking, allowing them to cook along with the pasta.
  3. While the pasta is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet (large enough to hold all ingredients) over medium-high heat.
  4. Add the chopped chicken to the skillet. Season with garlic and herbs seasoning or your chosen all-purpose seasoning. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned and cooked through.
  5. Push the chicken to one side, if needed, and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the minced or grated fresh garlic and a pinch of salt. Stir the garlic for about 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to burn it. Then mix the garlic with the chicken.
  6. Using tongs, transfer the slightly undercooked pasta and broccoli directly from the pot into the skillet with the chicken. Do not drain the pasta water completely yet.
  7. Add about 1/4 cup of starchy pasta cooking water to the skillet. This will help lift any flavorful bits from the bottom and create a sauce. Cook everything together for about 1 minute, allowing the pasta to finish cooking and absorb flavors.
  8. Zest half of the lemon directly into the skillet.
  9. Turn off the heat. Stir in the ricotta cheese and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano until well combined and creamy. If the sauce seems too thick, add more starchy pasta water, 1-2 tablespoons at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
  10. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper and additional salt if needed. Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmigiano-Reggiano and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, if desired.

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