If you’re looking for a quick and delicious pasta dish, your search has ended! This dish is filled with chicken, pasta, broccoli, and seasonings, mixed all together with a fabulous parmesan cheese sauce!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Prep Level: Beginner +
What You’ll Love
- Comfort Food – Creamy, cheesy, savory, and satisfying.
- Fast and Easy – It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen but it takes only 30 minutes to make.
- Family Favorite – It’s a go-to dinner everyone can agree on.
- Customizable – Toss in mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, and jarred tender artichoke hearts are delicious alternatives.
Fun Fact
Ruby Tuesday was founded in 1972 and is an American casual dining restaurant chain with over 200 locations nationwide. The menu at Ruby Tuesday contains a variety of dishes, including burgers, seafood, salads, soups, and pasta.
Ingredients
What You Will Need
- Penne pasta – Use a hollow or tubular shape pasta such as ziti and shells that catch and holds the creamy gooey cheese.
- Fresh broccoli – See FAQ
- Rotisserie chicken – shredded or cut into bite size pieces. Leftover chicken works great in this recipe.
- Milk – Whole milk works best for this recipe but you can substitute low fat or skim milk.
- Butter
- All purpose flour
- Garlic powder – Garlic salt can be substituted (cut back the salt to 1/2 teaspoon).
- Smoked paprika – Creole spices or ground chili peppers will turn up the heat a little.
- Hot sauce – Add hot buffalo sauce instead. Talk about taking the chicken & broccoli to another level…yum!
- Salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Cook pasta al dente style following the package directions. Drain the pasta and return it to the large pot.
- Rinse, dry, and cut broccoli into small bite size florets. Steam broccoli.
- Add the steamed broccoli and chicken to the pasta. Cover and set aside.
- In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter.
- Slowly and continuously whisk the flour and cook until the sauce becomes a light brown roux (see FAQ’s).
- Slowly add the milk and whisk continuously until the sauce begins to slightly thicken.
- Add the spices and mix throughly.
- Add the parmesan cheese and whisk until the cheese has completely melted.
- Pour the parmesan cream sauce over the pasta mixture and stir until throughly blended.
Pasta tossed in a parmesan cheese sauce is an American classic dish that can be switched up to please everyone in the family. Enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
- Chicken – I love the taste and convenience of a rotisserie chicken for a good meal. You can cook your own tender chicken breast (skinless and boneless).
- Side Dish – If your kids are more into chicken tenders, make the recipe as a broccoli alfredo pasta and serve it along side of the tenders.
- Use the Right Pasta – Penne or Rotini holds onto the creamy sauce beautifully. Cook pasta al dente so it doesn’t get mushy when mixed with the sauce.
- Stir in Parmesan Cheese at the end and off the heat to avoid clumping.
- A splash of pasta water can help emulsify the sauce if it gets too thick.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can! Just steam or microwave it first, then drain well to avoid watering down the sauce.
Yes, but for best results, store the pasta and the sauce separately, then reheat with a splash of milk or broth to keep the sauce creamy.
Absolutely! Use gluten-free pasta and use a thickener agent like cornstarch or a GF flour blend. Replace the milk with chicken broth.
The best substitution for a steamer basket is a metal strainer or colander. Place the strainer over a pot of water with a little bit of water (just lower than the bottom of the strainer). Cover with a lid and bring the water to boil.
Check out more easy recipes from that will tantalize your taste buds!
- 3-Ingredient Crock Pot Pork from Back to My Southern Roots
Chicken With Broccoli Pasta – Ruby Tuesday Style
This dish is filled with chicken, pasta, broccoli, and seasonings, mixed all together with a fabulous parmesan cheese sauce! It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen but it takes only 30 minutes to make.
Ingredients
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 1 head of broccoli – cut into small bite size florets
- 3 to 4 cups rotisserie chicken – shredded or cut into bite size pieces
- 1 1/4 cups parmesan cheese – shredded
- 2 cups milk
- 4 tablespoons butter – salted
- 4 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta al dente style following the package directions.
- Drain the pasta and return it to the large pot.
- Shred the chicken or cut it into small pieces.
- Rinse, dry, and cut broccoli into small bite size florets.
- Steam broccoli – Add about 1 to 2 inches of water in a medium size sauce pan and place the steamer basket in it.
- Add the broccoli florets and cover.
- Bring the water to a boil and cook for 5 to 6 minutes depending on the size of the florets.
- Add the steamed broccoli and chicken to the pasta. Cover and set aside.
- In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Slowly and continuously whisk the flour and cook until the sauce becomes a light brown roux (see FAQ’s).
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Slowly add the milk and whisk continuously until the sauce begins to slightly thicken.
- Add the spices: garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, fresh ground black pepper, and hot sauce. Mix throughly.
- Add the parmesan cheese and whisk until the cheese has completely melted.
- Pour the parmesan cream sauce over the pasta mixture and stir until throughly blended.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Helpful Tools
Large pot with lid
Steamer basket (see FAQ's)
Cutting board
Large kitchen knife
Medium sauce pan (Qty 2)
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Whisk
Some Favorite Substitutions And Variations:
Chicken – I love the taste and convenience of a rotisserie chicken for a good meal. However, there are many options you can use:
You can cook your own tender chicken breast (skinless and boneless).
If your kids are more into chicken tenders, make the recipe as a broccoli alfredo pasta and serve it along side of the tenders.
Serve it as the Ruby Tuesday chicken dish which is plated with grilled chicken breast on top of the pasta, broccoli, and cheese mixture instead of tossed in shredded chicken.
Penne pasta – Use a hollow or tubular shape pasta such as ziti and shells that catch and holds the creamy gooey cheese.
Milk – Whole milk works best for this recipe but you can substitute low fat or skim milk.
Smoked paprika – Creole spices or ground chili peppers will turn up the heat a little.
Garlic powder – Garlic salt can be substituted (cut back the salt to 1/2 teaspoon).
Hot sauce – Add hot buffalo sauce. Talk about taking the chicken & broccoli to another level…yum!
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