High Protein BOMB Italian Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake!
Servings: 6
Calories: 465kcal
This Italian Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake is a simple, comforting, delicious meal that the whole family will love. Made with pasta, tender chicken, sneaky veggies and lots of cheese, this pasta dish is an easy weeknight meal that is guaranteed to be on repeat!
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Ingredients
- 8 oz. rotini pasta regular, gluten-free, whole-wheat, etc.
- 12 oz. fresh broccoli florets roughly chopped (can also use frozen broccoli, see notes*)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil (15g)
- 1 lb. chicken breast cut into bite size pieces
- 1 tsp EACH: Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper
- 1 (24-oz.) jar marinara sauce I love Rao's
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (56g)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (112g) divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Cook pasta and broccoli. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Sprinkle generously with salt. Add the pasta and cook for 4 minutes, then add in the broccoli. Cook for a total of six minutes total or the minimum time according to package directions (the pasta will still cook some in the oven). When done, rinse with cool water and drain well. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, prepare chicken. Combine the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper together in a medium-sized bowl. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel, then add the chicken to the bowl with the seasoning. Toss around to evenly coat the chicken.
- Cook chicken. Add olive oil to a skillet and set to medium heat. When shiny, add the chicken bites and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink. Then fold in the cooked pasta, broccoli, marinara sauce, parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese.
- Prepare casserole. Spray a 9x13” casserole dish with cooking spray. Transfer the pasta to the casserole dish. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and it’s hot and bubbly.
- Broil for 2-3 minutes at the end to get it more bubbly! Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan and freshly cracked black pepper to serve.
Notes
*If Using Frozen Broccoli: if using frozen broccoli instead of fresh, you only need to add it to boiling water during the last minute of the pasta cooking. If using a steamable kind, you can skip adding it to the step completely and just add the warmed broccoli when combining all the ingredients together (step 4).
To use cooked chicken: sub the raw chicken breast for 18-oz. cooked chicken.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/6 of casserole (331g) | Calories: 465kcal | Carbohydrates: 42.2g | Protein: 41.3g | Fat: 14.6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Fiber: 4.6g | Sugar: 8.3g