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A serving of chicken penne pasta with broccoli in a blue and white bowl with two forks tucked in the side
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4.48 from 23 votes

Chicken penne pasta with broccoli

Chicken penne pasta with broccoli and marinara sauce is an easy all-in-one dinner that’s family friendly, just a few simple ingredients and ready in 30 minutes!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 (6-7 oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts (see notes)
  • ¾ teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper (or red pepper flakes for some heat)
  • 8 oz. (½ box) penne pasta
  • 1 medium head broccoli, cut into florets
  • 1 ½ to 2 cups marinara sauce
  • ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving if desired

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray for easy clean up.
  • Season the chicken breasts on all sides with the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake at 375 for 25 minutes, or until cooked through.
  • Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a roiling boil. Season generously with salt. Add the penne pasta and cook according to package directions. In the last 5 minutes of cooking time, add the broccoli florets to the pot with the penne pasta to cook the broccoli.
  • Reserving ½ cup of the pasta water, drain the penne and broccoli and add to a large bowl.
  • Slice the cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces and add to the bowl. Add 1 ½ cups of marinara sauce, ¼ cup of the reserved water and the Parmesan cheese. Stir well to combine. Add additional pasta water and/or marinara sauce if desired to help the dish come together.
  • Season to taste and serve hot with extra Parmesan cheese, if desired.

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Notes

Chicken: You can roast the chicken breasts in the oven, as indicated in the recipe, or you could slice the chicken and cook it in a pan. Or grill it. Or make this recipe super easy and use a rotisserie chicken from the store.
Pasta: The recipe calls for penne, but another similar sized pasta would work here too. Whole wheat or regular pasta are fine, just following the package directions for cooking time.
Vegetable: Not a fan of broccoli? You could substitute frozen peas. Add them to the pasta cooking water in the last minute of cooking to get them thawed and warmed through. Or fold in some fresh spinach with the cooked, drained pasta to wilt down for a different vegetable.
Marinara: You could change up the flavors here by the type of marinara sauce you use. I tend to go for the basic tomato marinara sauce. However, you could use a mushroom flavored tomato sauce or a tomato basil sauce for a different flavor. Whatever you go with, you’ll need about ½ of a regular 25 oz. jar.
Cheese: Want to make this super cheesy? In addition to the Parmesan cheese, mix in a heaping cup of shredded mozzarella cheese. It’ll get nice and gooey and stretchy.
Leftovers: The leftovers of this chicken penne pasta with broccoli will keep in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove, adding extra marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 592kcal | Carbohydrates: 96g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 1454mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 12g
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