Description
This easy weeknight chicken broccoli ziti recipe with crunchy bread crumbs is delicious, made with nutritious ingredients, and ready in just 30 minutes!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 3 Tbsp. butter (divided)
- 16 oz. broccoli florets (about 2 small crowns)
- 3/4 lb. ziti pasta
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 16 oz. chicken breast
- 1 tsp. sea salt (divided)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat and toast breadcrumb mixture for 2-4 minutes, until golden brown. Set aside.
- Cook pasta according to package instructions, but drain 2 minutes early. BE SURE TO RESERVE 1 CUP PASTA WATER.
- Meanwhile, clean and trim broccoli. Chop florets into small, 1-inch pieces. Cut chicken into small, 1-inch pieces. Thinly slice garlic.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and remaining 1 tablespoon of butter to extra large skillet. When it’s hot, add chicken to pan and season with 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, until browned.
- Add chopped broccoli and garlic to pan, tossing everything together. Season with remaining 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and cook for about 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until broccoli has softened and chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- When pasta is finished cooking, add drained pasta to pan, along with 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
- Toss everything together and add extra pasta water if mixture seems dry. The noodles should have a slight sheen to them and should not be dry.
- Top with a drizzle of olive oil, toasted bread crumbs, freshly grated Parmesan cheese and freshly cracked pepper to taste.
Notes
- This dish is very simple, but shouldn’t be “dry” – if it seems dry, use the reserved pasta water and stir it into the pasta mixture. The starchy water should create a silky sauce. You can also be sure to drizzle the plated pasta with olive oil to finish it off.
- This is designed to be a light, bright, and really simple dish that lets the flavors of the pasta, chicken, broccoli, and breadcrumbs shine. If you’re looking for something really saucy, this is probably not the recipe for you!