When I am in the mood to eat pasta but still want to eat something healthy, I choose this easy chicken alfredo penne recipe. Okay, the alfredo sauce can’t be on the healthy side but cooked chicken breasts and broccoli definitely are.
You can make this alfredo pasta bake with leftover chicken instead of using it for pull-apart chicken sandwiches. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have anything against these sandwiches but if pasta is still pasta.
On special occasions like Christmas and Thanksgiving when you roast a turkey, you can use turkey leftovers to make this pasta dish.
Alfredo pasta baked or cooked?
Chicken alfredo pasta bake is one of my recent discoveries. Even though pasta is one of my favorite dishes, I didn’t know there is baked pasta. In my country, the only baked pasta you can get is lasagna, and for me homemade lasagna is different from regular pasta dishes.
I divide pasta dishes on two different types, based on pasta sauce- white sauce pasta and red sauce pasta. Even though I like my homemade lasagna and spaghetti and meatballs recipe, my favorite pasta dishes are those with white sauce.
In addition to classic carbonara and zucchini and chicken pasta, I also like this alfredo pasta with chicken and broccoli.
How to make chicken alfredo pasta from scratch?
Cook the pasta. Whether you make chicken alfredo penne or you will choose some other type of pasta, cook it a minute less than according to the packaging instructions. This pasta is baked so it will be additionally cooked in the oven.
Cook the chicken and broccoli. Cut the chicken breasts in medium sized bites, grill them in the pan until cooked. Cut the broccoli florets and cook them for 3 minutes in boiling water. Add butter and cooked broccoli to the pan with chicken. Season well with salt, pepper and dill.
Cook alfredo sauce. In a saucepan, melt butter and stir in the flour at low heat. Add the cooking cream, milk and season it well with salt and pepper. Cook the sauce for about 15 minutes at medium heat or until it gets thick, but not too thick. Remove from the stove and add grated parmesan.
Stir everything together and bake. Mix cooked pasta with alfredo sauce which you previously mixed with chicken and broccoli. Grate some cheddar cheese and gauda on top. Bake at 375 Fahrenheit or 175 degrees Celsius, for about 30 minutes.
To cut the preparation time, you can cook or roast the chicken the day before. Leftover chicken is also good. For more juicy chicken, pan fry fresh chicken fillet in a grill pan or skillet on the same day.
What kind of pasta goes in alfredo?
Penne is the first choice. Linguine and fettuccine are the best alternatives for penne. Also, spirali and any penne substitutes: rigatoni, ziti, mostaccioli, elicoidali.
What to use instead of heavy cream in Alfredo sauce?
I always use cooking cream when making pasta dishes. Cooking cream has less fat than heavy cream. It’s lighter but also more liquid. That won’t be a problem for this chicken alfredo pasta bake recipe. Baking pasta in the oven will make the excess liquids evaporate.
How do you thicken alfredo sauce?
There are two ways to thicken alfredo sauce:
- Cook it longer
- Add something that will make the sauce thick.
Here are some ideas what you can add to the sauce:
- Cornstarch or tapioca powder
- Cottage cheese or Greek yogurt
- Additional spoon of flour mixed in cold milk
Easy Chicken Alfredo Penne Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups broccoli
- 400 g chicken breasts
- 400 g penne
- 500 ml cooking cream
- 1/4 cup ml
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 50 g butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 cup parmesan
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup mocarella
Instructions
- Whether you make chicken alfredo penne or you will choose some other type of pasta, cook it a minute less than according to the packaging instructions. This pasta is baked so it will be additionally cooked in the oven.
- Cut the chicken breasts in medium sized chunks, grill them in the pan until cooked. Cut the broccoli florets and cook them for 3 minutes in boiling water. Add butter and cooked broccoli to the pan with chicken. Season well with salt, pepper and dill or parsley.
- In a saucepan, melt butter and stir in the flour at low heat. Add the cooking cream, milk and season it well with salt and pepper. Cook the sauce for about 15 minutes at medium heat or until it gets thick, but not too thick. Remove from the stove and add grated parmesan.
- Mix cooked pasta with alfredo sauce which you previously mixed with chicken and broccoli. Bake at 375 Fahrenheit or 175 degrees Celsius, for about 30 minutes.
Delicious! I have to try this recipe.