Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
A creamy pasta bake with tender chicken and broccoli, coated in a homemade Alfredo sauce. Mozzarella tops it off, bubbling and browning just right. The pasta cooks with broccoli to save time. Sauce made from butter, flour, milk, Parmesan plus garlic and Italian seasoning for depth. Oven melt combines flavors, edges crisp slightly. Serve with parsley or a sprinkle of chili flakes for bite and color.
Prep:
25 min
Cook:
22 min
Total:
47 min
Servings:
8 servings
#Italian-American
#pasta bake
#comfort food
#baking
#chicken recipes
#broccoli recipes
Ever had a pasta bake that turns out gummy or bland? Yeah, me too. Learning to cook the pasta just shy of done and tossing broccoli in at the tail end keeps broccoli crisp, not squishy. Homemade Alfredo with butter and flour roux makes creamy sauce that sticks, avoids thin watery disaster. Parmesan and garlic bring savory depth. Mozzarella melts, bubbles, then browns to bring that toasty contrast. Bake just enough to meld flavors, but not kill the cheesy pull. Patience here rewards every bite. Toss in chicken cooked beforehand to avoid dry edges. This mix-up spatula stir method saves broccoli in the mash. Method learned after kitchen trials.
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts, cooked and diced
- 350 grams penne or rigatoni pasta
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
About the ingredients
Butter must be unsalted for seasoning control; salted throws off salt balance easily. Use whole milk for creaminess; skim yields thin sauce. Parmesan freshly grated thickens sauce better; pre-grated has anti-caking agents messing with melt. Flour cooked long enough removes raw taste; underdone roux surprises with graininess. Chicken breast preferred over thighs for even cook but thighs work, just mind moisture loss. Broccoli added late keeps vibrant green, crisp bite; frozen optional but drain excess water thoroughly or sauce dilutes. Mozzarella shredded finely spreads and melts uniformly. Parsley adds color and fresh hit. Chili flakes for heat, optional but recommended if you like kick. Substitutions: half-and-half for milk if short on whole milk; sharp cheddar can swap half Parmesan for different tang.
Method
- Preheat oven to 345°F for a gentler bake, less risk over browning.
- Start chicken ahead or poach quickly in broth. Dice after resting so juices stay put; dry pieces hold sauce better. Toss chicken into big bowl.
- Boil salted water vigorously, stir pasta in. Add broccoli when pasta's 4 minutes from done, not sooner or broccoli wilts mushy. Drain and run cold water over pasta and broccoli to stop cooking and keep firm texture.
- Combine cold pasta mixture with chicken in bowl.
- Melt butter in heavy saucepan medium heat. Immediately whisk in flour — no lumps. Cook roux 2-3 minutes until aroma is nutty but not brown; raw flour taste gone.
- Add milk gradually, stirring constantly. Slurp, scrape sides. Sauce looks runny; that's okay. Cheese, garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian herbs join now. Simmer softly 3-4 minutes. Thickens slightly but will firm baking.
- Pour sauce into pasta-chicken mix. Fold all together with spatula, making sure every strand coated. Try not to mash broccoli.
- Transfer to casserole dish. Level smooth but don’t pack tight.
- Sprinkle mozzarella evenly on surface. Watch oven light; aim for melted, bubbles just starting to brown on edges but no black spots.
- Bake about 20-27 minutes. If cheese not browning but sauce jiggly, blast broiler a minute — watch like hawk.
- Take out, let rest 5 minutes. Sauce sets to luscious thickness; pasta absorbs flavor. Garnish parsley for freshness or chili flakes for heat punch.
Cooking tips
Start with chicken cooking—resting keeps it juicy. Pasta timing is everything; keep watch, pasta clock can vary by brand. Shock with cold water post-cook stops overcooking and keeps vibrant color. Roux stage crucial: whisk constantly to avoid lumps, cook till slightly golden, smell changes from raw flour to toasty. Adding milk slowly avoids clumps, stirring thickens sauce evenly. Sauce will stay loose before baking; resist adding extra flour here, baking firms it naturally. Mix chicken-pasta-sauce gently to keep broccoli intact but all coated. Mozzarella topping melts and browns, signals doneness visually. If tired of waiting, a quick broiler zap finishes top. Rest period post-bake sets the sauce; skipping rest turns bake sloppy and loses texture contrast. Use spatula for portioning to keep layers presenting well.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Chicken cooked ahead or poached keeps juices inside; resting before dicing is crucial. Dry pieces hold sauce better, prevent soggy spots. Using breast preferred but thighs fine if moisture managed well; marinade or brine can help if thighs chosen.
- 💡 Add broccoli about 4 minutes before pasta done. Too early makes broccoli mushy, too late means undercooked flowerets. Rinsing pasta and broccoli in cold water immediately stops cooking, keeps vibrant color crisp texture; skip and risk dull, floppy bites in bake.
- 💡 Roux phase critical: melt butter medium heat, whisk in flour constantly. No lumps allowed. Cook till aroma nutty, flour taste gone but avoid browning roux too much; dark roux changes sauce color and flavor profile unexpectedly.
- 💡 Add milk slowly, stir constantly; sauce looks runny at first, don't panic. Simmer gently to thicken lightly before adding cheese and seasonings. Cheese of choice impacts sauce texture — fresh grated Parmesan offers better melt and thickening; avoid pre-grated with additives causing graininess.
- 💡 Mozzarella topping melted bubbles, edges brown are key doneness clues. Watch oven light, no black spots allowed. If cheese melts but sauce jiggles, quick broiler blast works but watch closely. Rest bake 5 minutes to let sauce set; skips here yield runny mess, lost texture contrast.
Common questions
How to avoid mushy broccoli?
Timing broccoli add matters. Add last 4 mins pasta cooking then cold shock with water. Stops softening fast, keeps bite. Rinse all pasta too or texture off. Frozen okay but drain well or dilute sauce.
Can I use chicken thighs?
Yes but moisture tricky. Thighs cook unevenly sometimes dry edges. Rest post cook key for juiciness. You could brine briefly or slow cook then dice. Breast safer if unsure.
Pasta bake turns gummy, why?
Pasta overcooked first reason. Cook shy of done. Cold rinse stops carryover heat. Over stirring mash broccoli, losing texture. Sauce too thin might cause watery bake; roux done well helps fix that.
How store leftovers?
Refrigerate airtight up to 3 days. Reheat oven or microwave, oven preferred for texture. Freeze? Cool fully. Wrap well. Thaw overnight fridge best. Sauce thickens more after fridge, add splash milk when reheating to loosen.
