Baked Penne with Chicken, Broccoli and Smoked Mozzarella
This baked penne with chicken, broccoli and smoked mozzarella is so delicious – better than a restaurant, and it freezes well, too.
This delectable baked penne dish has stood the test of time; it’s been a family favorite for over ten years! That’s saying something.
Especially with a family of pasta lovers.
Flavorful and fairly simple to make, it’s restaurant-level good, and makes a fantastic meal for company (or to take to friends or neighbors).
One Pot Wonder
One of the appeals to this recipe is that the broccoli, pasta and sauce all cook in the same pot, meaning: minimal dishes!
First, the broccoli get plunged into lightly salted boiling water. They cook for just a few short minutes before getting pulled out to rest until a bit later.
The pasta cooks in the same pot of boiling water. Brilliant!
When the pasta is drained, the pot (no need to wash!) goes back on the heat for a little sauce making.
This homemade, creamy sauce is as simple as it gets, but thanks to the onion, garlic and simple seasonings, it’s delicious!
The uncooked, diced chicken pieces go straight into the simmering sauce and cook for a few minutes, followed by the sun-dried tomatoes and cheese…and then the broccoli and pasta that were cooked earlier.
A Note About Smoked Mozzarella
I posted this recipe years ago when I had access to a far better cheese selection then I do now. If you can find smoked mozzarella, by all means, use it! It adds a unique, delightful flavor.
Bur more often than not these days, I just use regular mozzarella, and the end result is still fantastic.
Scoop the saucy pasta into a baking dish, top with buttery bread crumbs and bake until golden and bubbling.
Be prepared: your house is going to smell amazing.
The pasta bakes at 400 degrees, which means it only needs to be in the oven for 15 minutes or so.
This baked pasta can really be a meal in and of itself. You’ve got pasta, sauce, cheese and veggies!
We make this recipe all the time – and have for years! It’s one of those delicious, classic recipes that truly stands the test of time.
A few other reviews (so you don’t have to just take my word for it!):
Anna: I made it countless times in past years. It’s our family favorite.and it is always well received by the company. Great way to get some veggies into my kids. Thank you Mel!
Kristen: Fantastic recipe! My family loved it and I’ve been enjoying the leftovers for a couple of days! I ended up using smoked gouda since I couldn’t find smoked mozzarella and it worked great and tasted amazing. Thanks, Mel, for another great recipe.
What To Serve With This:
Divine Breadsticks
Fresh fruit
Autumn Pear Salad
One Year Ago: Chicken Spiedie Sandwiches
Two Years Ago: Peanut Butter Crunch Snack Balls
Three Years Ago: Chocolate Scotcharoos
Baked Penne with Chicken, Broccoli and Smoked Mozzarella
Ingredients
Topping:
- ¾ cup bread crumbs, regular or panko
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling:
- 1 ½ pounds broccoli, stalks cut off, florets trimmed into 1-inch pieces
- 12 ounces penne pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 6 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 3, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
- 3 ounces smoked or regular mozzarella, shredded
- 8 ounce jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped into pieces
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and butter and set aside. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large pot, bring the water for the pasta to a boil. Stir in one tablespoon salt and the broccoli. Cook the broccoli for 1 minute, until it is bright green. Quickly remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon or mesh strainer to a plate or bowl.
- Return the water to a boil and add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 1-2 minutes less than how you would eat it normally (it will cook a bit more in the oven while baking). Drain the pasta in a colander and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Wipe the pot dry. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and return to medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Add the flour, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the broth and cream; bring to a simmer, whisking often. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 6-7 minutes. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and smoked mozzarella (or regular mozzarella).
- Add the cooked pasta and broccoli to the sauce; stir to combine. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the bread crumb topping. Bake until the casserole is bubbling and the crumbs are lightly browned, about 15-20 minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from Cook’s Illustrated Cover and Bake
Recipe originally posted January 2011; updated July 2021 with new photos, commentary, recipe notes.
We made this last night and it was a hit, even with my toddler (he especially loves broccoli). We used half-and-half and it was still really quite rich. I may cut that with milk next time (or not).
Made this for dinner Monday night! My family LOVED it! You are awesome Mel…. LOVE your website.
After making this we realized we really don’t like smoked mozzarella. You live and learn. I do want to try it again though because I did love the other flavors. I was thinking of doing parmesan instead of the mozzarella. Could I use half and half instead of heavy cream too? Has anyone tried this with whole wheat pasta?
Bri – yes, you could use half-and-half and you might even be able to get away with using milk but the sauce may not thicken up as much. I think it would work just fine with whole wheat pasta, although I haven’t tried it that way.
This is very good. My husband told me that it is as delicious as food you get at a restaurant.
I made this tonight for dinner and it was SO delicious… my kids devoured it and my husband loved it. I couldn’t find smoked mozzarella (my regular grocery store doesn’t have a ton of “specialty” variety), so I used regular mozzarella and added several shakes of liquid smoke to the broth/cream sauce as the chicken was cooking. It tasted great, but I was hoping for even more smoky flavor, so I plan to search harder for the smoked mozzarella when I make this again soon. Thanks for the delicious recipe!! Yours is my favorite recipe blog, hands down!
Made this for my family last week and Everyone LOVED it!
I was just wondering if you use fresh, regular dried or panko bread crumbs?
Thanks!
Hi Elise – I either use freshly ground bread crumbs or panko, if I don’t have the time to make my own. Hope that helps!
This was good. We enjoyed it.
I just got around to trying this today and it was AMAZING. This is quickly becoming my go-to website for new recipes– thanks so much for sharing!!!
Love your blog! I use it all the time. This recipe was outstanding. My kids & husband loved it! Thank you.
I am planning to make this for 2 friends who just had babies tomorrow… But what’s the deal with 8 hours before hand? What would happen if I made it 24 hours ahead of time?? Thank you!!
Beth – I think making it too far in advance and the sauce might make the pasta too soggy (or the pasta bake may even dry out a bit on the top layer where the pasta has settled to the bottom).
Hi Melanie, how much will the dish suffer if I omit the sun dried tomatoes? I’ll probably buy it but it was so expensive!
Thanks!
Lorie, if the sun-dried tomatoes are really expensive, definitely leave them out. I don’t like spending a lot of money on fussy ingredients, so I wouldn’t bother if I were you. The dish will lose a little tang from the tomatoes but I think you could easily substitute a can of drained, diced tomatoes.
Made this for the family last night. It was a hit! I used regular mozzarella since I couldn’t find the smoked mozzarella. Thanks!
i made this two nights ago. i loved it! my boys wouldn’t touch it (ARGH), but i was kind of glad because, well, more for me! i used plain mozzarella and rotini because that’s what i had. awesome. i took leftovers with me to watch tennis matches yesterday and it was even better than the night before (didn’t think that could even be possible)! oh, i was almost at the end of the recipe when i realized i hadn’t put in the salt and pepper. when is that supposed to happen? does it matter? i just threw it in when i realized. thanks so much for this recipe. it’s one of my new favorites!
k – yes, the salt and pepper goes in with the roux/sauce. I’ve edited the recipe. Glad you liked it!
If I used the dry sundried tomatoes instead of the oil packed ones do I need to plump them with hot water or something first?
This sounds really good, but what I really appreciate is the use of the same pan for each part of meal prep, instead of dirtying three separate pans.
For those asking about where to find smoked Mozzarella, I can usually find it with the “fancy” cheeses over by the deli at the back of the produce department at my grocery store.
Was wondering where you find the smoked mozzarella at? I have never seen it. Thanks
Made this today. Was pretty good. Took forever to make tho 🙂
Another fabulous pasta recipe. I made it last night for me and my mother. She doesn’t like broccoli cooked with her pasta so I omitted that part but on my plate I stirred in some baby spinach. It was wonderful. The smoked mozzarella was a nice and delicious change of pace for pasta.
I made this tonight and LOVED it! The smoked mozzarella was so unique and delicious….definitely a keeper!! Thanks so much for the great recipe 🙂
This was oh so good!!! Restaurant quality, for sure. I just felt like it took me FOREVER to put together. Am I the only one? I think it will be a special occasion dinner.
Oh, and I was nervous about putting the chicken in the sauce raw, but it cooked up perfectly!
Ok, Mel. You’ve outdone yourself again. Is it any wonder that your site is bookmarked on my tabs for quick access? I am making this ASAP!
BTW- I blogged about your wonderful cornbread today!
Thanks for the great idea! We love pasta and use Barillas new PLUS whole grain pasta, it was great to find they have penne for this dish. Tomatoes, broccoli and cheeses meshed into wonderful flavors, will make this again!!!
i need to just state that the bread crumb topping makes all the difference in the world. masterful.
I made this for dinner tonight and everyone loved it! It was so cheesy and delicious. I tossed my onions, broccoli and garlic together with a little olive oil and roasted them in the oven. Same with the chicken. Then I made the sauce and stirred everything together with the pasta. I used panko for the crumb topping. It was delicious.
Thanks, Mel!
KarenC – love your changes, as always. Thanks!
Oh I wish I had a bowl of this right now! This looks aaaamazing!
I’m dying to try this. I love your other Chicken, Broccoli, Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta. But smoked mozzarella? This has to be good!
Hello!
I just wanted to take time and tell you how much I LOVE, not only your recipes, but your blog, your blog layout, your photos, pretty much everything. You are doing such a fantastic job.
Your photos are wonderful, and your recipes are simply my style all the way! You really are doing a fantastic job. Everything looks so good, I can’t wait to start making your creations. Thanks so much, Sally
YUM! I can’t wait to try this out!
Ok, Melanie. Can I just say that this looks like the most delicious pasta recipe I have seen since your one skillet pasta recipe?! My children request that pasta at least once a week! This looks like my kind of pasta- I LOVE smoked mozzarella! This is on the menu in my house next week…thanks so much for your amazing blog!
Leave no carb untouched…that’s my motto. I love pasta – it’s so easy and versitle. The falovour combinations in this dish sound yummy – I will be making a vegetarian version of this for the weekend. Thanks for all the great recipe ideas. And your photos are lovely.
YUM!! The Pasta looks so tasty~ can’t wait to make this!Thanks!
Oh, I’m a pasta girl too and I like the sound of this one! Saved!
I made this today and it was awesome! All 3 kids enjoyed it so that makes it a winner in my book. I used regular Mozzarella because it’s what I had on hand and I threw in a few bacon bits just because I thought it would be good. Thanks so much Mel! I love your site and check it everyday!
Jina – I’m happy this was a hit with everyone. Thanks for including your changes!
Linda – the chicken is added raw and cooked with the broth/cream mixture.
Is the chicken added raw or cooked? Sounds great!
That sounds amazing! I’ll have to make it soon.
Holy YUM! I can’t wait to make this! Thanks girlfriend!!!
Oh gosh I want this tonight. Sadly I can’t grocery shop until next month but this looks so good. I can’t wait to give it a try.
Hi Mel
I do not like smoked mozzarella, what other type of cheese can I use in this recipe. Thanks.
Jackie – do you like regular mozzarella? It would make a perfect substitution. You could also substitute fontina with great results.
This looks like it would be a huge hit in this house. I think I may just have everything too!
Oh, yum! I love pasta, too… especially penne. I’m going to make this dish this weekend. It’s got some of my favorite ingredients in it, so I already know it’s going to be delicious!
This sounds amazing! I LOVE pasta.. broccoli.. cheese… all of it! YUM
This looks so good! I love baked pastas.
Hello Mel-
I just found your website from u-create foods site and
I love your recipes. I already have so many on my must try list
Especially your favorite cookie recipes. But the moment
I knew you were a real foodie is when you listed you
use a Bosch instead of the kitchenaid. Seriously, best mixer
ever! Thanks again for all your recipes.
Yes, Pasta, I love it!! I will have to make this one!!
Delicious!
YUM!!! Darn Weight Watchers… 😉 I will definitely be making this for a special occasion… Points be damned! Sorry if this is a dumb question… But I have never heard of smoked mozzerella…sound delish! Where can you find it at the grocery? Thanks for another awesome recipe!
Hi Beth – I usually find the smoked mozzarella tucked in next to the other specialty-type cheeses, like feta, brie, blue cheese. You can substitute regular mozz if you can’t find the smoked.
Love pastahhhhhhh. . . especially penne. It looks and sounds like a wonderful combination of flavors. What’s not to like?
Classic dish and flavors- looks wonderful and hearty!