Chicken Primavera
Creamy chicken primavera is a fresh combination of vegetables, pasta, chicken, and herbs in a light garlic Parmesan sauce!
Servings 5 people
Calories 462kcal
Ingredients
- ½ lb. dry penne pasta
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 8 ounces)
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 asparagus spears, chopped
- ½ cup diced zucchini
- ¼ cup diced sweet bell pepper
- 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
- ¼ cup chicken broth, or more as needed
- ½ cup heavy cream, at room temperature
- ½ cup finely-grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup frozen peas, thawed
- ¼ cup minced fresh chives (or sub with thinly-sliced green onions)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves (or sub with 1 teaspoon dried basil)
Instructions
- Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water for 1 minute less than al dente, according to package instructions (that was about 9 minutes total for my box of penne). During the final 3 minutes of cooking time, add the broccoli florets to the boiling water with the pasta. Drain.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Cook the chicken in the oil until browned on both sides and juices run clear, about 5-7 minutes per side. Remove the chicken to a cutting board, let rest for 5 minutes, and then slice into thin strips.
- In the same pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in asparagus, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook for 1 minute. Add the zucchini and bell pepper, cook for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add the chicken broth, increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low so that the liquid is at a gentle simmer. Stir in the cream and Parmesan until smooth.
- Add the cooked pasta, broccoli, peas, chives and basil to the sauce. Let it bubble and thicken slightly, stirring frequently, until all of the ingredients are warmed through, about 2 more minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Stir in the chicken and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Cook the pasta just slightly less than al dente (about 1 minute shorter than called for on the package), because the pasta will continue to cook in the skillet with the sauce and vegetables. You don't want to end up with overdone, mushy pasta at the end!
- Use freshly-grated Parmesan (not the canned pre-grated stuff), and make sure that it's shredded to a very fine consistency on a microplane or on the smallest side of a box grater. This will ensure that the Parmesan melts smoothly into the cream sauce.
- Do not substitute with half-and-half or whole milk in this sauce. The heavy cream provides the best texture and flavor, and is the least likely to separate when simmered in the skillet.
- Make sure that the cream is at room temperature when you add it to the skillet. This will help to prevent it from curdling or separating in the pan.
- Garnish each serving with additional Parmesan and/or chopped fresh herbs for even more flavor in each bite!
Nutrition
Serving: 1/5 of the recipe | Calories: 462kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 332mg | Potassium: 543mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1377IU | Vitamin C: 43mg | Calcium: 164mg | Iron: 2mg