Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Pasta
This chicken and broccoli pasta is a satisfying, easy weeknight meal that uses a few simple ingredients. It’s a light meal, great for healthy meal prep.
Servings: 5
Calories: 613kcal
Cost: £1.50
Ingredients
- 2 heads of broccoli (cut into florets & stalks (sliced into pieces) (£0.79x2)=(£1.58)
- 400 g chicken drumstick meat, sliced into chunks (£2.00)
- 200 g cream cheese £1.30
- Juice of half a lemon £0.30
- 350 g rigatoni £0.75
Cupboard essentials
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic granules
- 1 tsp onion granules
- Dried basil
- Red pepper flakes
- Salt & Pepper
Instructions
- Start by adding the olive oil and chopped broccoli stalks into a deep frying pan over a medium/low heat. Season with salt and pepper, then fry for 4 minutes.
- After this time, add the chicken into the pan. Season with salt and pepper and cook for around 5 minutes.
- During this time, add your pasta into heavily salted pasta water, setting your timer to the packet time minus 2 minutes. Add the broccoli florets into the pot with the pasta, when there is 3 minutes left on your timer.
- To the frying pan, add the onion granules, garlic granules, dried basil and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine, then add the cream cheese. Allow to heat through, then add two ladles of pasta water.
- Reserve a large mug full of pasta water, then drain the broccoli and pasta in a colander. Transfer to the creamy mix and loosen with a splash of pasta water. Stir to combine, then taste to adjust the seasoning with more salt/pepper/lemon juice. Dig in!
Notes
- Avoid over cooking the broccoli for ideal texture in chicken and broccoli pasta.
- Opt for fresh lemon over packaged juice for enhanced flavor.
- Garnish with lemon zest for a zesty kick or to intensify the lemon taste in the pasta dish.
Nutrition
Calories: 613kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 25g