Hannah’s Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake

This is one of the recipes that Hannah created at uni and has cooked for the whole family since. It is delicous, filling and quick and easy to make. This recipe is great for students as it is inexpensive and goes a long way so is perfect for batch cooking.

Chicken and broccoli work very well together, but why not experiment with different ingredients, too, and let us know the results!

Ingredients (4 generous portions)

• 400g pasta – we used farfalle but fusilli, penne or any other short pasta of your choice will work
• 40g butter plus a knob to cook the chicken
• 40g plain flour
• 400ml milk
• 200g grated cheddar cheese – you can experiment with different types of cheese (e.g. blue cheese)
• 1 broccoli stalk
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken thigh fillets (use breast if you prefer)
• a drop of olive oil
• a pinch of fine salt
• a small handful of coarse salt for the pasta water
• a drop of vegetable oil for the pasta water
• 75g breadcrumbs
• 10g grated parmesan
• optional: a sprinkling of garlic granules

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 160°C
2. Bring a large pan of water to the boil with the coarse salt and vegetable oil
3. Cut the chicken into small pieces (roughly 1cm x 1cm)
4. Cut the broccoli florets into similar sized pieces as the chicken
5. Cook the pasta for 2 minutes fewer than indicated on the pack
6. While the pasta is cooking, cook the chicken and make the cheese sauce:
   • In a small pan, melt a knob of butter and add a drop of olive oil to stop the butter burning
   • With the pan on a high heat, add the chicken, and season with a sprinkling of salt and the garlic granules (if using)
   • Stir and turn the heat down, leaving the chicken to cook, remembering to stir from time to time while you make the cheese sauce
   • In another small pan, melt 40g of butter and stir in the flour to make a roux
   • Gradually add the milk, stirring continuously to avoid lumps forming, allowing each bit of milk to amalgamate into the roux before adding any more
   • Once all the milk has been added, keep stirring on a low heat as the béchamel sauce thickens
   • Once the béchamel sauce is thick and velvety, remove it from the heat and stir in the grated cheddar
7. Drain the pasta and pour into an oven-proof dish
8. Mix in the cooked chicken, cheese sauce and the raw broccoli
9. Combine the parmesan and breadcrumbs and sprinkle liberally over the top of the dish
10. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes or until the crust is deliciously golden

Note: You can cook this delicious chicken and broccoli pasta bake a day in advance and re-heat it the following day. Take it out of the fridge a couple of hours before re-heating, then heat in a pre-heated oven (160°C fan) for approximately 45 minutes or until piping hot throughout.

Hannah’s Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake | Gloriously Simple, Gloriously Good!