Chicken broccoli pasta gets kicked up a notch with a simple white wine butter sauce bursting with fresh lemon flavor.
Whenever I travel out of town, I like to stock the fridge with plenty of food and ready-to-eat meals that my husband can easily reheat for the boys. When hosting retreats and scouting new vacation spots, I don’t want to worry about my boys surviving on fast food or snacks. I love whipping up a batch of my fast and easy Chicken Broccoli Pasta with Lemon Butter Sauce. Not only does it make an easily re-heatable dinner, but it’s also great for meal prepping lunches!
Ingredients
- Penne: You could use bowtie or another small pasta type, but I love the bite sized length of penne and the small ridges help to catch the lemon butter sauce.
- Broccoli: A great source of vitamin C and fiber, among many other nutrients, it has a sweeter taste when cooked.
- Chicken: A lean source of protein that is affordable and accessible, chicken breasts cut to be the perfect bite-sized protein.
- Red pepper flakes: Adds just a tiny kick of heat to the dish.
- White wine: I love to use a sauvignon blanc to deglaze the pan and add a bit of a acidity to the sauce. You could also use a pinot grigio, or simply skip it and use chicken broth.
- Butter: Melts down with the lemon juice to make a rich and slightly sweet sauce.
- Lemon juice: Bright, acidic, citrusy flavor for the sauce.
- Chicken broth: Adds robust, rich flavor to the sauce, and helps deglaze the pan if you don’t have wine.
- Olive oil: Helps to evenly cook the chicken to a delicious golden brown.
How to Make Chicken Broccoli Pasta with Lemon Butter
Start your chicken broccoli pasta with lemon butter sauce by cutting your chicken breasts into cubes and season with some salt and pepper.
Then bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the penne.
During the last few minutes, add the broccoli to the same water as the pasta.
This is my trick to save on dishes and get things cooked at the same time. Let the broccoli cook until bright green, then strain with the pasta.
While the pasta is cooking, add the chicken to a pan with some olive oil and add the red chili flakes.
Cook over high heat until chicken is fully cooked and browned, then remove from pan and set aside.
Next take your white wine or some chicken broth and use it to deglaze the pan, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom.
Then add your butter to the hot pan and heat until fully melted.
Stir in your lemon juice.
And finish with the chicken broth.
Add the cooked chicken back into the mix and give it a good mix.
Then add the cooked pasta and broccoli, and mix it all together until evenly coated in the sauce.
Garnish with some parmesan cheese and additional pepper flakes before serving, and enjoy your Chicken Broccoli Pasta with Lemon Butter Sauce!
Easy Substitutions
- Swap the veggie. Don’t like broccoli? No problem, you can use asparagus, cauliflower, spinach, or green beans!
- Change the protein. This dish would also taste great using shrimp instead of chicken.
- Make it vegetarian. Increase the number of veggies in place of the chicken, or add a meat replacement like tofu to make this dish vegetarian.
Frequently asked questions
You want to make sure you don’t overcook your chicken. Cooking your chicken quickly at a high heat helps to lock in the moisture and flavor. Marinating your chicken beforehand can also help.
Seeing as this is a pasta dish, it’s pretty balanced with a protein, vegetable, and whole grain. But adding another veggie side like a salad or some garlic bread would taste great.
Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
More Pasta Dishes
- Sausage Pesto Pasta with Caramelized Onions and Peas
- Cajun Shrimp Pasta
- Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Pasta Salad
- Crab Linguine in a White Wine Garlic Sauce
- Beef Bolognese
Eat It, Like It, Share It!
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Balanced, tasty, and quick, my Chicken Broccoli Pasta with Lemon Butter Sauce is the perfect meal for the whole family.
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Ingredients
Video
Equipment
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salty water to a boil and cook pasta al dente according to package directions.1 pound dry penne, 1 teaspoon salt
- Two minutes before the pasta is done cooking, add the broccoli to the same pot cooking the pasta.8 cups broccoli florets
- Drain the pasta and broccoli and return to pan; set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat (medium high) and add cooking spray. Sprinkle cubed chicken breasts with salt and pepper (optional) and red peper flakes. Add to pan and brown, 7-9 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and reserve.20 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, black pepper
- Leaving the pan on medium-high, add white wine and use a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan by scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer.1/2 cup dry white wine
- Add butter to the pan and heat until melted. Stir in lemon juice and chicken broth then simmer for an additional minute or two.2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 cup chicken broth
- Add reserved chicken and any juices formed back to the pot with the pasta and broccoli. Stir in lemon butter sauce and toss well. Check for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
- Stir in olive oil before dividing between 6 plates. Serve with plenty of Parmigiano cheese and fresh basil.2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh basil
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