Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake

This creamy chicken and broccoli pasta bake is the perfect dinner for two with leftovers! It’s ready in just 45 minutes and full of cozy, comforting flavors you’ll want to dig into before it’s even out of the oven.

In our always-constant effort to eat more vegetables and protein, we set out to make this chicken broccoli pasta bake a “doesn’t taste healthy but is” kind of meal – just like our spinach cottage cheese pasta (If you’re new to us, read about our definition of “healthy” in this article). 

With plenty of chicken and broccoli, and a focus on using minimally processed pasta and alfredo sauce, this dinner packs a nutritious punch of protein, fiber, and vitamins that we feel good about eating when we’re craving the comfort and warmth of a pasta bake.

Why We Love This Recipe

Key Ingredients

• Grilled chicken – Make this ahead of time, or use leftovers. We like to use a simple zesty lemon chicken marinade for perfectly juicy, tender results with a “plain” flavor that goes great in any dish that calls for grilled chicken.
• Broccoli – We’ve seen heads of broccoli come in all sizes, from tiny to humongous! Look for an “average” sized head of broccoli, around 14 ounces in weight. Since you’re going to chop it up small, it’s not worth spending extra for the bagged florets at the store. 
• Pasta – We like to use penne, but you could also use ziti for a more traditional chicken broccoli ziti style bake. We recently learned that a lot of pasta in the US is highly processed, so we’ve started using the De Cecco brand as it’s made the traditional way with durum wheat, bronze drawing, and slow drying.
• Alfredo sauce – We wanted this recipe to be as easy as possible, so we use store bought alfredo. Our preferred brand is Classico, as it’s made mostly from natural ingredients and has great flavor. Optionally, you could make your own alfredo sauce from scratch for an even less processed ingredient.
• Shredded cheddar cheese – We like to use extra sharp white cheddar for this pasta bake. Our go-to brand is Cabot (we love to support local brands!), but Lucerne is also a great option. You can shred the cheese yourself from a block, or use bagged shredded cheese for a shortcut.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How To Make Chicken Broccoli Pasta Bake: Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Boil the pasta and broccoli – Boil the pasta in a large pot of salted water. During the last 3 minutes of cooking, add the broccoli. Then drain everything and return it to the pot.

Step 2: Mix together – Add the grilled chicken, alfredo sauce, half of the cheddar, and the garlic to the pot. Stir well to combine.

Step 3: Transfer to baking dish – Pour the mixture into a large baking dish and top with the remaining cheddar cheese. We like to use our Staub baking dish, which measures 10.5 by 7.5 inches.

Step 4: Cover and bake – Cover the baking dish with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Chicken Broccoli Pasta Bake FAQs