I've eaten two memorable chicken & broccoli penne pasta with garlic white wine sauce (s) in my life. First, right after college I got a job managing a restaurant. We served this dish and it was so insanely delicious - I never thought I could make it on my own. But it stayed with me over the years and I had it again at a local restaurant near where I live - top notch! I love the combination of chicken, broccoli, pasta, garlic, wine, and cheese. I mean, who doesn't?
Chicken Broccoli Penne Sauce is Easier Than You Think
The great thing about this sauce is that it doesn't require a ton of butter. A little butter, yes, but not too much. The real flavor of this sauce comes from the garlic, chicken broth and wine. It's such a simple sauce to make so don't be intimidated. You got this! This is a very easy dinner and reheats well for lunch too.
As always, I'm cooking with leftovers in mind, so it looks like I'm cooking for an army! I'm prepared with my huge mixing bowl so I can toss all the pasta and chicken together. It's a bit harder if you try to combine all the ingredients in the pan you're cooking it in. There likely won't be enough room so keep this in mind. Any big bowl will do!
This batch of chicken & broccoli penne pasta is enough for 4-6 portions. You can always make a plate of garlic bread too and serve on the side.
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This Penne Pasta Will Rival Any You've Had at a Restaurant
Chicken with pasta is one of my favorites (I know, I say that about a lot of things I make because I have a lot of favorites!). But really, this recipe is fantastic and will rival any chicken & broccoli with penne pasta you've eaten at your favorite restaurant.
I use grated shaker parmesan cheese when I mix the pasta together, but I like to finish it and present it with freshly grated parmesan. You know how oils have different smoke points? Well, cheese has different melt points. I use the grated shaker cheese to toss with the pasta because it coats the pasta better than the fresh grated parmesan. The fresh parm will get weird and melty and the pasta will stick together too much. This is why I reserve the fresh stuff as a garnish at the end. This is optional, but I think it's worth it and makes the presentation nicer too. And try not to skip the fresh basil here. It's one of the components that take this pasta dish to the next level.
Need More Pasta and Other Delicious Chicken Dishes in Your Life? I Thought So:
- The Ultimate Spaghetti Lasagna (you'll never make big noodle lasagna again)
- Penne Pasta w/Sausage, Roasted Tomatoes & Garlic White Wine Sauce
- Big Batch, Slow Cooked Spaghetti Sauce (no meat)
- How to Make Outrageous Chicken Parmesan
- Three Cheese Stuffed Chicken w/Sausage and Red Sauce
- Swiss Chard Pasta w/Lemony Breadcrumbs & Bacon Bits
- Dan Dan Noodles (dandanmian)
- Mie Goreng: Indonesian Fried Noodles w/Rotisserie Chicken
- Insanely Delicious Meatballs
- Roasted Eggplant Towers w/Cheesy Ricotta Blend
I hope you give some of my recipes a try! It's never been easier to be the best home chef you can be. Restaurant prices are skyrocketing so why not learn how to prepare amazing food right in the comfort of your own kitchen? Whether you're cooking for a larger group or just two or three people, you can adapt any recipe on this site to suit your needs. With the leftovers, you've built meal prep into your life without even realizing it. Pack the extras into lunch containers and forget about expensive take-out during your workday. Making a little extra can go a long way in terms of your food budget.
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Chicken & Broccoli Penne Pasta w/Garlic White Wine Sauce
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 portions 1x
Description
It's time to kick it up a notch on pasta night. This simple chicken & broccoli penne pasta with a garlic white wine sauce is just what you need to feed you and your loved ones. This is a gourmet. Leftovers reheat well too!
Ingredients
- 12 chicken tenderloins
- 4 cups of chopped broccoli
- 1 cup chopped fresh basil, plus extra for garnish
- ¾ box penne pasta
- â…” cup parmesan shaker cheese
- Fresh grated parmesan for topping, as needed
- Salt & pepper
Flour dredge for chicken
- ¾ cup flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
For cooking the chicken
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the sauce
- 3 tablespoons garlic, finely diced (about 6-8 cloves)
- 1 cup white wine (any kind)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons butter
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Instructions
- Chop your broccoli and put in a pot with a steamer insert if you have one (see video). Set aside on stove burner. It only takes about 10 minutes to steam the broccoli (start to finish) so plan your time. Once the chicken is finished cooking, turn on the broccoli and it should be perfect by the time you mix everything in the bowl.
- Fill your pasta pot with water and salt (a teaspoon or so) and keep it on low to medium heat to bring to a boil.
- Finely dice all your garlic.
- Cut all the chicken tenderloins in half. For this dish, I prefer larger pieces so I cut each tenderloin into two pieces. Salt and pepper the chicken pieces on both sides - about a teaspoon of salt total and ½ teaspoon of pepper..
- Flour dredge for chicken. Mix flour, garlic powder and salt on a plate. Coat all the chicken pieces in the flour mixture and put on a sheet pan or plate.
- Cooking the chicken. Put olive oil and butter in a pan and melt. Place the chicken in pan and then DON’T TOUCH IT. Brown the chicken on both sides on medium heat. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. I did this in two batches. If you crowd the pan with too much chicken it can create moisture and the chicken won’t brown. Put chicken on a clean plate or sheet pan when finished. Leave any brown bits and juices in the pan.
- Your water should be boiling by now. Put pasta in and give it stir. Let it cook per box instructions.
- Turn on the broccoli (high heat) and let it steam while you’re making the sauce.
- For the sauce. Add a splash of olive oil to the pan and cook the garlic (low to medium heat) until it’s fragrant – a minute or two. Add the white wine and chicken broth. Turn heat up to medium-high so the sauce is at a low boil. Give it a stir. Turn heat to medium and let sauce reduce slightly for about 5 minutes. It should be at a slight boil while this is happening.
- Add chicken to the pan including any juices on the plate or sheet pan. Add butter and let melt. Stir.The flour from the chicken and the butter together will help thicken the sauce a little. This is more of a brothy sauce but it will thicken slightly. Let cook for 3-4 minutes on medium heat. Then turn heat off and let it sit for a couple of minutes.
- While the chicken sits a couple of minutes: stack, roll and slice your basil. I stack the leaves on top of each other, then roll them up like a cigar, then slice thinly.
- All components should be ready. You need a big mixing bowl for this. Drain your pasta and add it to the bowl. Add broccoli and chicken and sauce to the bowl. Give it good mix to coat everything in the sauce. Add basil and mix again. Add parmesan shaker cheese and mix again. If you want more shaker cheese than the recipe calls for – go for it.
- Serve immediately. I like freshly grated parmesan cheese as the final touch. Serve additional basil on the side for garnish.
Equipment
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Steamer Insert, Stainless Steel
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Calphalon Saute Pan with Lid (5QT)
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Buy Now → Notes
- The sauce is enough to generously coat all the pasta, chicken and broccoli and give it a fantastic flavor. If you want it saucier with enough to dip bread in, double the wine and chicken broth, let it reduce a little longer (maybe 3-5 more minutes). Once you add the chicken, you may need to add a bit more butter here (a tablespoon or two more).
Kim Preston
I made this on Friday night and everyone loved it. It tasted like it came from a restaurant. I could never figure out how to make this dish the way I really like it. But now I have the perfect recipe and definatly keep this in my rotation of meals. Thanks Stacey !!!!
Stacey
Yay!!! I'm so happy you made this and it was a success! Thanks Kim:)
Lesley
Very tasty recipe. We had it for supper tonight and both my husband and I enjoyed it. I did add a bit of lemon to the sauce because I’m a lemon fanatic and cut back to 3/4 cup of wine and made up the liquid with more broth. Finally I added a bit of cornstarch to thicken up the sauce a bit more. Definitely satisfied my cravings tonight. Thanks.
Stacey
Lesley! Wonderful to hear from you. So glad you enjoyed the recipe! I like the lemon addition - I'll have to try that next time I make it. 🙂
Shannon
Squeezed 1 lemon and added TBSP capers, the acid and salt made the recipe pop.
Stacey
Shannon!! Very cool idea with the lemons and capers! If you're into that flavor profile, I also have an awesome chicken piccata you should check out. Be well and thanks for stopping by!
Kirsten Fazio
This was delicious. I upped the sauce ingredients by a bit just because my family likes it but the flavors were great! Everyone went back for seconds and even thirds! No leftovers here. Restaurant quality!
Stacey
Kirsten! Thank you so much for your comment. This recipe is one of my favorites and I'm so happy you upped the sauce to make it saucier the way you guys like it. That's why I love this recipe. It's adaptable! 🙂
Debbie
Can you use boneless chicken breast and cut them into bite-size pieces and cook them that way as opposed to using chicken tenders this recipe sounds amazing and I can’t wait to make it on Sunday
Stacey
Hi Debbie - yes, of course!!! Let me know how it comes out. This really is one of my favorites. 🙂
Carmella Lussier
Can you bake in oven for a bit?
Stacey
Hi Carmella - I checked YouTube first and gave a detailed answer there. Main point: putting in the oven is not a good idea and will likely dry it out. A friend of mine made it for a family gathering and she ate some when she first made it and loved it... then she reheated it all in the oven the next day (against my advise, lol) and it didn't turn out that great. The recipe is made with a sauce to generously coat the pasta - it's not swimming in sauce. Putting it in the oven will dry it right up.
Linda Walpole
Excellent pasta dish. Easy to follow instructions. We thoroughly enjoyed it and have plenty for leftovers. Will definitely making it again.
Stacey
Hey Linda! Thanks for making it - glad you liked it.