Chicken and Broccoli Pasta

Ingredients

• 1½ tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 pound Chicken Breast, boneless, skinless – cut into roughly 1 inch pieces (Try to make them about the same size so that they cook at the same rate.)
• 1 teaspoon Salt, plus 2 tablespoons for the pasta water (we used kosher salt)
• 4 tablespoons Butter
• 2-3 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 3½ tablespoons Flour (all purpose)
• 3 cups Whole Milk, warmed
• ½ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated, plus extra for serving
• ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
• 12 ounces Rotelle or Rotini Pasta, cooked to package directions for al dente
• 12 ounces Broccoli, fresh or frozen
• Crushed Red Pepper, for serving if desired

Recipe tips

• Start the pasta water – Before you begin cooking, start a large pot of water over medium to medium-high heat. Cover the pot and let the water heat up and come to a boil while you cook the chicken and start the sauce.
• Having the pasta water ready to go will ensure both the pasta and the sauce will be ready at about the same time. If you wait until the end to start the water, the sauce will sit too long and start to thicken.
• Par-cook the broccoli – Par-cooking is a technique that involves partially cooking food that will finish cooking later. It’s like getting a head start on an ingredient before adding it to the rest.
• We don’t want the broccoli fully cooked when we add it to the sauce so it doesn’t get mushy. If you’re starting with fresh steam-in-the-bag vegetables: Cook the broccoli to package directions, but use only about half the suggested time. Carefully open the package to release the steam so they don’t keep cooking in the bag.
• If you’re using frozen broccoli you just want to defrost them. Follow the package directions but reduce the time. Make sure to drain all of the water before adding it to the sauce.

Instructions

Cook the chicken

• Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the chicken pieces. Arrange them so they’re in a single layer.
• Cook the chicken, without disturbing for 2½ – 3 minutes. Stir and turn each piece and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes until it’s browned on both sides.
• Don’t worry that it’s not cooked all the way through. It will finish cooking in the cream sauce.

Make the sauce

• Add the butter to the chicken. When the butter is melted, add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
• Next, add the flour to the skillet and stir to combine well. Cook the flour for 2 ½ – 3 minutes to get the raw taste out. Stir frequently, almost constantly.
• Slowly add the warm milk while stirring constantly until the sauce is smooth. When it comes to a simmer, lower the heat to low, cover the skillet and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer, raise or lower heat as needed.

Make the pasta

• While the sauce cooks make the pasta. Cook to package directions for al-dente. Remember to salt the water (one or two tablespoons should do it).
• Before you drain the pasta, reserve about a cup of the cooking water just in case we need to loosen the sauce.

Finish the chicken and broccoli pasta

Add the parmesan cheese and black pepper to the sauce. Stir well until the ingredients are incorporated. Taste the sauce and add salt if needed. As a reference we added ¾ teaspoon to ours.

Finally, add the pasta and broccoli to the creamy sauce, stir well. Cover the skillet and cook for 2-5 minutes or until the broccoli is the desired tenderness. If the sauce is too thick, add some of the reserved pasta cooking water, a tablespoon or two at a time until the desired consistency is reached, stir well.

Serve with extra parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper, if desired.