Baked Ziti with Chicken and Broccoli
Each forkful offers a delightful combination of taste and textures. Tender pasta, juicy chicken, and crisp broccoli all baked together in a rich and creamy sauce, topped with mozzarella and parmesan cheese complement each other perfectly.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
CHICKEN:
- 1 1/2 lbs. chicken breast about 2 breasts
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 1 T. olive oil
- 1 T. butter
PASTA & BROCCOLI:
- 1 lb. ziti pasta
- 4 T. butter
- 1 med. leek cut in half, sliced thin
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 c. broccoli finely chopped
- 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
- 4 c. 2% milk
- 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 dash cayenne pepper
- 1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
TOPPINGS:
- 1 1/2 c. grated low-moisture mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
- CHICKEN: Pound the chicken breast until they are 1/2-inch thick, season with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Preheat a large skillet over medium heat and melt 1 T. butter with 1 T. olive oil; place the chicken in the skillet and cook until golden brown on both sides and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees about 6 minutes per side, then remove from the skillet; let rest for 5 minutes then slice into bite-size cubes.
- PASTA: Boil the pasta until al dente according to the package directions; drain and set aside.
- In a large pot over medium heat, sauté the leeks in 4 tablespoons butter for 1 minute, then add the garlic and sauté for another minute; add the broccoli and sauté for 3-4 minutes more until the veggies are heated through and tender.
- Stir in flour (about 1 minute) then add the milk a cup at a time, stirring to incorporate before adding more; once all the milk is added, turn the heat up to medium-high until the mixture begins to bubble and thickens slightly, then turn the heat back down to medium and add the parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne.
- Turn the heat off and stir in the pasta and chicken, the transfer to a greased 9×13-inch baking dish or individual ramekins and top with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is deep golden brown. Enjoy!
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