• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Julia's Album
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Cozy Meals
  • Chicken
  • Pasta
  • Side Dishes
  • Seafood
  • Recipe Index
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Cozy Meals
    • Chicken
    • Pasta
    • Side Dishes
    • Seafood
    • Recipe Index
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Chicken and Broccoli Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

    Published: Nov 25, 2014 / 52 Comments

    183.3K shares
    • Facebook1.9K
    Recipe Print

    Delicious Chicken and Broccoli Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce - Italian-inspired recipe. Penne pasta smothered in a flavorful, creamy sauce spiced up with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, basil and crushed red pepper flakes!

    Chicken and Broccoli Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce in a large All-Clad skillet

    Broccoli and creamy sauce always go together as in this chicken broccoli alfredo pasta and this fettuccine alfredo with chicken, broccoli and bacon, especially if you add sun-dried tomatoes and basil!

    What is half and half

    To make 1 cup of half and half, combine ½ cup of milk and ½ cup of heavy cream.

    How to make creamy chicken and broccoli pasta

    First, drain and reserve all olive oil from the sun-dried tomatoes jar. Then, add 2 tablespoons of that reserved oil to the hot skillet and saute first sun-dried tomatoes, then add chicken (generously salted on both sides and sprinkled with paprika):

    cooking chicken with sun-dried tomatoes and crushed red pepper (process shot)

    Add half-and-half and Mozzarella cheese, heat it up to a gentle boil, then immediately reduce to simmer. Cook constantly stirring until cheese melts, adding basil and crushed red pepper flakes along the way:

    adding half and half and cheese to the pasta (process shot)

    In the mean time, cook both pasta and broccoli florets in a single pan (or steam broccoli separately, if you prefer), chop the broccoli into smaller pieces, and add both pasta and broccoli to the creamy sauce. Stir everything in. Remove pasta from heat and let it sit covered for 5 minutes before serving.

    stirring everything together in a large skillet

    4.83 from 28 votes

    Chicken and Broccoli Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

    Penne pasta smothered in a flavorful, creamy sauce spiced up with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, basil and crushed red pepper flakes!  Chicken and Broccoli Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce - Make this Italian-inspired pasta dish at home.  
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Total Time 50 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4 servings
    Author: Julia

    Ingredients

    • 3 garlic cloves , minced
    • 4 oz sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
    • 1 lb chicken breasts , sliced
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon paprika
    • 1 cup half and half
    • 1 cup mozzarella cheese , shredded
    • 8 oz penne pasta (for gluten free, use gluten free brown rice pasta)
    • ½ pound broccoli florets
    • 1 tablespoon dried basil
    • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes , at least, use more to taste
    • ½ cup reserved cooked pasta water or more
    • ¼ teaspoon salt to taste

    Instructions 

    • In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil reserved from the sun-dried tomatoes jar. Add garlic and sun-dried tomatoes (drained from oil) and saute for 1 minute until garlic is fragrant. Remove sun-dried tomatoes from the pan, leaving the oil, and add sliced chicken breasts (generously salted on both sides and lightly covered in paprika, for color) and cook on high heat for 1 minute on each side. Remove from heat.
    • Cook pasta according to package instructions. When pasta is about half done, add the broccoli florets. Continue cooking both pasta and broccoli for about 5 more minutes, until pasta is al dente. Reserve some cooked pasta water. Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water (to stop cooking).
    • Slice sun-dried tomatoes into smaller bits and add them back to the skillet with chicken. Add half and half and cheese to the skillet, too, and bring to a gentle boil. Immediately reduce to simmer and cook, constantly stirring, until all cheese melts and creamy sauce forms. If the sauce is too thick - don't worry - you'll be adding some cooked pasta water soon. Add cooked pasta and broccoli to the skillet with the creamy sauce, and stir to combine. Add 1 tablespoon of basil, at least ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and stir to combine.
    • Add about ½ cup reserved cooked pasta water because the creamy sauce will be too thick (do not add all water at once - you might need less or more of it). This will water down the thickness of the cheese sauce and make it creamier. Immediately, season the pasta with salt, more basil, and more red pepper flakes, to taste, if needed. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes for flavors to combine.
    • Note: Make sure to salt the dish just enough to bring out of the flavors of basil and sun-dried tomatoes.

    The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    Keyword chicken broccoli pasta, creamy broccoli, sun-dried tomato cream sauce
    Tried this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment and provide a Star Rating below - I love your feedback and try to respond to every comment!
    « How to Cook Spaghetti Squash
    Greek Yogurt Mashed Potatoes »
    183.3K shares
    • Facebook1.9K

    Please share your comment and Star Rating in the comments section below.

    I appreciate your feedback!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. susan ormerod

      February 09, 2018 at 4:55 am

      Whats half and half?????

      Reply
      • Julia

        February 24, 2018 at 3:17 pm

        Half and half is a US milk product. To make 1 cup of half and half, combine 1/2 cup regular milk + 1/2 cup heavy cream.

        Reply
        • gabe

          May 07, 2018 at 1:39 pm

          thats right i only use heavy cream i dont know why they say half and half thats not the right way heavy cream and whole milk if anything

          Reply
    2. James

      September 26, 2017 at 12:09 pm

      Looks delicious! My family is coming over for dinner and i am definitely making this.

      Reply
      • Julia

        October 31, 2017 at 7:47 pm

        Thank you! Enjoy!

        Reply
    3. Ann

      August 26, 2017 at 5:03 pm

      I know this is an older post but if you can ever find some lemon basil or know someone that grows it, try it in dishes that call for regular basil. Very fresh tasting! Great for caprese and even salsa! I used leftover chicken for this and subbed fire-roasted red bell pepper for the sun-dried tomato (didn't feel like going shopping :D). I used heavy cream and melted the mozzarella over low heat in it in a double boiler. I like to add a bit of butter when melting cheese for a sauce like this. Came out great! Thanks for the inspiration!

      Reply
      • Julia

        November 03, 2017 at 6:27 pm

        Thank you so much, Ann, for such a thoughtful comment! I've never heard of lemon basil - it sounds so delicious!

        Reply
    4. Connie

      May 20, 2017 at 6:22 pm

      This is a real winner. I race my sailboat offshore with 7 hungry guys. We have this as a first night offshore meal. I do the chicken and the pasta ahead and then mix them on the boat. Not as good as if I'd done it all right then and there, but it really hits the spot. If there is any left over, which there usually isn't, it's even good cold at breakfast. Hey, when you are racing, you never leave anything good to die in the fridge.

      Reply
    5. Esther

      January 24, 2017 at 3:31 pm

      So the first time i made this, it turned out perfectly! So so good. But i made again recently, and my sauce "broke" - the half n half n Mozzarella just curdled n clumped together. how do i prevent this?? Did i heat it up too high?

      Reply
      • Julia

        January 31, 2017 at 12:03 am

        I've had some fails with the cheese sauces as well, and here are my take-aways:

        1) Half and half should be added to the HOT pan where you have already cooked the chicken and sun-dried tomatoes in some oil.
        2) After you add the cream (half and half), bring the cream to a complete but gentle boil.
        3) Add the cheese and keep stirring until the sauce is creamy.

        It's important that the pan and the liquids (half and half) are really hot before adding the cheese. This will ensure that the cheese will melt nicely and quickly. It is also important to have some hot fat (oil) in the pan before adding the liquids - that's why you cook the chicken and sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil in the same pan BEFORE adding the cream (half and half). I hope this helps.

        Reply
    6. Tom Sabol

      September 08, 2016 at 7:12 pm

      I made this tonight, for my Mom and sister. I have to admit that I was a little nervous about making something new. I have to say that everyone loved it and I will definitely make it again. The next time I will double the recipe, because there were hardly any leftovers. I just added a tossed salad, and it was more than enough for all of us.

      Reply
    7. bonny

      February 05, 2016 at 7:26 pm

      Mozzerilla clumped and sauce was not creamy, dissappointed. Flavor was ok

      Reply
    8. Adrianna Vazquez

      January 26, 2016 at 8:41 pm

      I made this dish for dinner tonight, my husband absolutely loved it, as did I, it has so much flavor and wasn't difficult to prepare. Thank you for the great recipe!

      Reply
    9. Kenny

      January 01, 2016 at 10:06 am

      The picture and list of ingredients were all agreeable, so I made it last night. Unfortunately the dish did not have much favor. Seemed like it was missing something. Sorry for the bad review.

      Reply
    10. Rebecca

      December 18, 2015 at 11:57 am

      Definitely a big hit! Will make again!

      Reply
    « Older Comments
    Newer Comments »

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    photo of the content-creator Julia from JuliasAlbum.com site - she is wearing a yellow sweater against the Autumn background.

    Hi, I'm Julia! Welcome to my recipe blog where I share easy-to-make weeknight dinners and other recipes using simple ingredients!

    I have made and tested all of the recipes presented on this site personally.

    I also personally do all of the writing and the original photography for JuliasAlbum.com. My recipes are everyday, familiar foods, cooked from scratch. I hope you enjoy them and let me know your feedback in the comments!

    More about me →

    Fall Favorites

    • Creamy Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Sausage, Thyme, and Sage
    • Stuffed Butternut Squash with Spinach, Bacon, and Cheese
    • Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta with Sausage and Spinach
    • Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Pecans, and Cranberries

    JOIN ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Instagram

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Privacy and Disclosure

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions

    About

    • About
    • Featured On
    • Contact Me

    Connect on Social Media

    • Pinterest
    • Facebook
    • Instagram

    Copyright © 2022 JuliasAlbum.com

    Site Design: Foodie Pro Theme by Feast Design Co.