Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake

5 from 2 votes

Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake

This Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake is the ideal comfort food, and easy weeknight meal! Rigatoni loaded up with a creamy, cheesy sauce, seared chicken, and broccoli florets get topped with more cheese and baked to perfection!

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Total Time1 15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 642kcal

Author: Briana

Equipment

9x13 baking dish
skimmer
large skillet
large stockpot or soup pot

Ingredients

16 ounces rigatoni (can sub any pasta of choice)
½ - 1 cup reserved pasta water (as needed to thin the cheese sauce)
16 ounces broccoli florets, cut into bite sized pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds chicken thighs (can sub chicken breasts)
½ - 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (divided and to taste)
1 tablespoon oregano (divided)
1 tablespoon kosher salt (divided and to taste)
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper (divided and to taste)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, diced
12 cloves garlic, minced (about 1head)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened (1 block)
4 ounces heavy whipping cream
8 ounces low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (divided)
8 ounces Colby Jack Cheese, shredded (divided)
5 ounces parmesan cheese, shredded (divided)
1 cup chicken broth or stock
Parsley for granish (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add the pasta. Boil, and remove from the water about 2 minutes under what the package directions state as al dente. You want the pasta to be a bit undercooked because it will finish cooking in the oven. Once the pasta is about 2 minutes from al dente, from the pot using a skimmer, and transfer to a 9x13-inch baking dish. Do not rinse the pasta, and set aside about 1 cup of pasta water before returning the water to a boil (don't drain the water!)
Once the water returns to boiling, add the broccoli and cook for 2-3 minutes until starts to soften but still bright green. Using the skimmer, remove the broccoli and place it into the baking dish with the pasta. Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with 1.5 teaspoons of kosher salt, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1 teaspoon of oregano, about a ½ teaspoon of black pepper (or to taste), and about ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes (optional).
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, to the hot skillet, then add the chicken and sear until brown on both sides, about 3-5 minutes per side. It's okay if they aren't cooked all the way through, they will continue cooking in the oven. Remove from the skillet and set aside to rest for a few minutes before cutting them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
In the same skillet, reduce the heat to medium, and add 2 tablespoons of butter, followed by the onion with a pinch of salt. Cook until softened and translucent, about 4-5 minutes, then stir in the garlic, the remaining 2 teaspoons of oregano, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. Cook, stirring constantly to prevent burning, until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute, then immediately deglaze the pan with chicken broth.
Reduce the heat to low, then add the cream cheese in chunks, and stream in 4 ounces of heavy cream. Simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring often to ensure nothing is sticking on the bottom, until the mixture is thick yet pourable. Slowly stream in some of the pasta water if needed to thin.
Reduce the heat to low, and mix in about half of the cheeses in small handfuls stirring to melt before adding more cheese in. This (2.5 ounces) of the parmesan, ½ of the mozzarella (about 4 ounces), and ½ (about 4 ounces) of the Colby jack. Make sure to reserve the rest for topping.
Stream in reserved pasta water if needed to thin the cheese sauce, then add in the chicken pieces. Adjust the seasonings to your taste.
Pour the cheesy chicken mixture over the pasta and broccoli in the baking dish and stir to combine. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over top.
Bake uncovered for about 25-30 minutes, until the cheese is lightly golden brown and the sauce is bubbling. Enjoy!
Store leftovers in an airtight container or cover it in foil once it has cooled down. Place it in the fridge for up to 4 days and warm portions in the oven or microwave when needed. If freezing, take note that the sauce will seize up when frozen and might become grainy when reheated. You can place the pasta in a freezer-friendly container for up to 2 months.

Notes

Broccoli size. Bite-sized florets are ideal for this recipe. You can chop them smaller if you want to “hide” the veggies from the kids but make sure that you do not over-cook them. It's also important to chop them into roughly equal sized pieces so that they cook evenly.
Heavily salt the pasta water. Don't skimp on the salt for the pasta water. This will ensure the pasta isn't bland.
Undercook the pasta. Undercook the pasta slightly when boiling it since it will continue cooking in the oven. This prevents overcooked pasta in the final dish.
Save pasta water. Remember to save some pasta water (about 1 cup) before draining the pasta. It's useful for adjusting the sauce's consistency later.
Don’t overcook the broccoli. Be careful not to overcook the broccoli when boiling for a few minutes. You want it to soften slightly but still have crispness to it, and be a vibrant green color.
Searing the chicken. When searing the chicken, aim for a nice golden brown color on the outside. Don't worry if it's not fully cooked through; it will finish cooking in the oven.
Allow the chicken to rest. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before cutting it into bite-sized pieces after cooking it on the stovetop. This helps retain its juices and tenderness.
Deglazing the skillet. Scrape up all the flavorful browned bits from the skillet when deglazing with chicken broth. This adds depth to your sauce.
Adjust spice level. Adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to suit your spice preference. You can start with less and add more if needed.
Use freshly shredded cheese & add it slowly to the cheese sauce. Always use cheese that you’ve shredded yourself when making a cheese sauce if possible because pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting as well.
Melt the cheese gradually. When adding the cheeses to the sauce, let them melt slowly, adding a handful at a time, and stirring continuously to ensure a smooth, creamy consistency.
Thin the cheese sauce. If the sauce is too thick, use reserved pasta water to reach the desired consistency. Add it gradually, as needed.
Salt carefully. Add a bit of salt to the sauce when seasoning it. Remember that the cheese and broth will add more saltiness to the dish. You don't want to overdo it.

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