You can have this comforting, kid-friendly pasta on the table in a flash and best of all, you don’t even need to boil water first. Using an herb seasoning base in the creamy sauce and the crunchy breadcrumb topping packs the dish with texture and flavor. Juicy chicken and crisp-tender broccoli round out the meal—which is sure to be a hit with the whole family.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 25 min |
| Active: | 25 min |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 4), cut into 1-inch pieces
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 pound broccoli florets (from 1 large head broccoli)
- 12 ounces penne (see Cook’s Note)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons Italian herb seasoning base
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 8 ounces cream cheese, cubed, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 1 ounce)
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in large wide pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until it just starts to change color, about 2 minutes.
- Add the onion and cook until tender and golden brown in spots, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until softened, about 1 minute.
- Add the broccoli, pasta, heavy cream, 2 tablespoons of the Italian herb seasoning base and 4 cups water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente and the sauce is thickened and reduced by about half, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon Italian herb seasoning base to combine. When the mixture is bubbling, add the panko and cook, stirring continuously, until golden brown and toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve in a small bowl for serving.
- Remove the pasta from the heat and stir in the cream cheese and Parmesan until the cream cheese is melted and the mixture is combined. Don’t worry if the sauce looks runny; it will thicken as it sits. Let sit, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Top with the toasted breadcrumbs.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 709 |
| Total Fat | 41 g |
| Saturated Fat | 23 g |
| Carbohydrates | 57 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 6 g |
| Protein | 31 g |
| Cholesterol | 178 mg |
| Sodium | 745 mg |
Reviews
Delicious! Love the convenience of a one pot recipe. It made for a really easy weeknight dinner!
Ok, so let me get this right. It calls for an Italian Herb Base…and the popular one I found is by Better Than Bullion, and the sodium content is 560mg per Teaspoon. This recipe calls for 3 Tablespoons of The Italian Herb Base so that means a whopping total of 5,040mg of Sodium in this dish in addition to the salt you add and the sodium content of the cream cheese and Parmesan cheese. So let’s round it up to 6,000mg of sodium total. Let’s say you have some hungry eaters and you get 4 portions so that’s around 1,500mg of sodium per serving!! Are you kidding me?? No thank you…
I enjoyed the ease of the one pot recipe and think it came out pretty well overall, but I may try removing the chicken before boiling next time and possibly adding the broccoli during the simmer phase. Both seemed a little overcooked.
The sauce was flavorful and a great consistency though.
I have picky kids so I didn’t make the panko topping and thought it was still good without it.
The sauce was flavorful and a great consistency though.
I have picky kids so I didn’t make the panko topping and thought it was still good without it.
This was delicious and easy to make. Minimal cleanup! My two picky children loved it and their neighbor friend, who stayed for dinner, did too! I’ll be making this again, for sure!