It seems the sunny spell that blessed our lockdown period at the beginning is starting to fade. The weather around where I live recently has been drizzly and depressing, and I’ve lost much of my motivation for summer salads. Sometimes you need something a little more comforting. I’ve been craving pasta recently, and this Chicken and Broccoli Pasta is a tasty option, but that’s a little healthier and refreshing.
This pasta dish is creamy and delicious, full of subtle but delicious flavours that just hit the spot. Garlic, lemon, and fresh basil, paired with marinated chicken and your favourite type of pasta. Its also super quick to make – it took me less than 30 minutes from start to finish. You can leave the chicken to marinate for up to 24 hours if you really want the flavours to infuse the meat, but if you can’t be bothered, you can just leave it for 15 minutes or so.
Grilling the chicken ensures it doesn’t dry out and stays really moist. It’s a trick I learned a little while ago for making curries, but I’ve started doing it whenever I’m using chicken in a recipe. It barely takes any time, and you can do it while you cook and prepare the other ingredients.
This Healthier Chicken and Broccoli Pasta is a super easy, quick and helathy dish to make, for those nights where you dont have loads of time but are craving something healthy and delicious. I hope you like it!
Ingredients options
I used crème fraîche in this recipe as a healthier alternative that would make my pasta a little creamy, but feel free to use cream or even a bechamel sauce if you prefer.
You can add any vegetables you like to this dish. The broccoli goes really nicely, but I think peas, green beans or asparagus would work great too!
I used this herb mix from Abel and Cole to marinate my chicken. It has all sorts of yummy herbs in, and lemon flavours that really go with the rest of this dish. I really recommend this brand, but if you cant get hold of any, I’ll include a homemade spice mix that will taste very similar.
Healthier Chicken and Broccoli Pasta
Ingredients
Marinade
- 2 large chicken breasts (you could also use chicken thighs)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp Lemon Chicken Rub OR see spice mix below
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- zest of ½ lemon
- 1 tsp garlic granules
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried fennel
Other ingredients
- 1 head of broccoli
- 3 garlic cloves
- juice of ½ a lemon
- handful fresh basil
- 250 g dried pasta pf your choice
- 100 g crème fraîche
Instructions
- Chop the chicken into bite sized chunks. Add to a bowl with the marinade ingredients. Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge for 15 minutes or up to 24 hours.
- Meanwhiel, heat your grill to the highest setting, and prepare the other ingredients. Chop the brocolli into bite siezed pieces. Crush the garlic cloves into a small bowl. Finely chop the basil. Boil your pasta in a pan of salted water according to the package intructios, then drain and set aside.
- Line a grill tray with foil and place the chicken pieces on it. Grill for 7-8 minutes, or until the chicken is white all the way through. Cooking time will depend on your grill, so make sure to cut into a thick piece to check it is fully cooked.
- While the chicken cooks, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan on medium-high heat and add the broccoli, garlic and lemon juice. Cook until the broccoli turns bright green and goes a little crispy.
- Add the chicken, crème fraîche, basil and boiled pasta and stir together until all the ingredients are heated through, around 5-10 minutes. Serve with fresh parmesan and enjoy!
Method in Pictures
Gather your ingredients
chop your chicken into strips
Add the chicken to a bowl with the marinade ingredients. Marinate for half an hour
Once marinated. grill the chicken on high for around 7 minutes until cooked through
Chop your broccoli
Crush the garlic and add to a pan with your broccoli and a little olive oil
And the lemon juice
Cook on medium high until lightly crispy
Meanwhile, put the pasta on to boil
When the chicken is fully cooked set aside
Once the pasta is boiled, drain and set aside
Add the chicken and pasta to the broccoli, along with the creme fraiche
Cook until all the ingredients are heated through
Garnish with fresh basil and serve
Thank you so much for sharing this awesome recipe with us. This is so Delicious and the output was so awesome.
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂