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.
I tried this last night and it was fantastic! Because my husband and I don’t get home from work until 6:00 each night, I decided to start the recipe the night before by doing Step #3 and storing it in the fridge overnight. When I got home from work last night, I warmed up the sauce, steamed the broccoli, cooked the pasta and threw it all in the baking dish. The pasta wasn’t soggy and the whole thing was baked and ready to eat by 6:30.
This meal is delicious! My husband and I made it a few days ago and had it for leftovers last night. Mel, I discovered your website about a year ago, and I have found so many that have gone into my regular meal rotation. Thank you!
Have made this on numerous occasions, often I double this and give away to friends who just had a baby. It’s always a hit. I love it all!
Melissa, I don’t know about Mel, but I freeze this all the time. I make it ahead but don’t bake it. I also don’t put the topping on. I do prepare the topping and tape it in a baggie to the container with the rest in it, but I find freezing it already on the casserole makes it soggy. When I’m ready to use it, I thaw it in the fridge, sprinkle on the topping, and bake. I do have to add 10 minutes or so usually since I’m starting from the refrigerator instead of room temperature/warm, but otherwise, it works wonderfully!
Hi Mel
To freeze this receipe do I just follow the make ahead steps?
Thanks
Hi Melissa – Sarah gave some great advice on freezing; sounds great!
Hi Mel
Love your website. I would like to know if you can freeze this baked penne with chicken and broccoli. Do I j
i am a vegetarian & have made this many times by omitting the chicken & using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. it’s absolutely delicious, and not using chicken cuts down a lot on the prep time too. very filling, inexpensive, and is excellent re-heated!
Made this today. It is AMAZING! Yum!!! Thank you Mel! I love the smoked mozzarella in this (even went across town to a different grocery store to find it – well worth it!). Also, thank you for the suggestion about adding a can of drained dice tomatoes if leaving out the sundried tomatoes. I left out the tomatoes this time because I didn’t have any on-hand, and I wish I hadn’t.
It’s only a year after your last comments on this, but I had to say I made it last night for a new mom (found it through the post on new mom take-ins) and it was DELISH! One of my favorites of yours, and I’ve made a bunch. I couldn’t find smoked mozzarella, so subbed fresh; it may have been even yummier with the smoked, but I thought the flavor was still amazing. It’s a keeper!!! I can’t wait for lunch today … leftovers!
Ohhhhh my goshhhh! Just found this receipe a couple of days ago, and made it tonight for dinner!!!! It was FABULOUS!!!!! The sun dried tomatoes really made the dish stand out; and I just sub’d Silk Cream and reg mozz. FANTASTIC! Thank you so very much for a delicious and wonderful dinner!!!!
I made this and it is my new FAVORITE! It is SO darn good! Even my little 3 year old said “this is the best thing I ever had!” Thank you for sharing!!
i made this last night, fantastic! i used regular mozz just because i figured my kids and husband would prefer it, total yum!
what if i can’t find sun dried tomatoes????????
Made this the other night – even with smoked mozzarella (had to search for it!). It was tasty, but a little dry – it needed more sauce. So – will use less pasta next time. And as others said, it is a great dish to help feed a crowd.
This was downright delicious! It made a ton, but my husband had tasty lunches for a couple of days, and he froze some too. Will probably half it next time, but other than that, I wouldn’t change a thing! Thanks!
This looks so delicious especially because theres smoked mozzerella in it
I made this dish today, and it was delicious, but I agree with others who commented on the amount of preparation time involved. It took me 1 1/2 hours before baking time, and that is considerably more time than I usually spend. Everyone loved it, though, so I need to come up with some shortcuts. Anyone have any ideas?
Delish! I used smoked Gouda only because no store I went to had smoke mozzarella. Also used milk instead of cream. Really enjoyed!
I just made this and the family loved it. Will definitely become a regular on our menu. thanks!
I found you via Pinterest, made it for dinner tonight and I am in LOVE with this dish! I did make a couple of modifications because I am on Weight Watchers to try and make it a little more Points+ friendly. I still need to add it into my recipe builder to find out the points for sure.
Adjustments:
Omit Butter
Omit Breadcrumbs
Use Whole Wheat Penne
Used Fat Free Chicken Broth
Used 1% Milk instead of Heavy Cream
Added chopped mushrooms
Added some Red Pepper Flakes
Even using 1% Milk instead of Heavy Cream it was still very good…I’m sure it lacks a little of the original richness, but it makes it a little less guilty.
I cannot wait to make this again. It was slightly time consuming on the prep, but about half way through that I busted out the food processor instead of hand chopping and the rest of the prep flew by. I linked your recipe to my FB page. Delicious!
This was delicious! I was surprised at the lengthy prep time, but I’ll probably just save it for the weekends instead of a school night. Really tasted like a restaurant dish. I couldn’t find smoked mozzarella at my grocer either, so I used shredded gruyere and mixed it with shredded mozz. It was outstanding!! Also, I used the sundried tomatoes in the bag because I didn’t want to pay for the jar, and they worked perfectly!
I made this tonight for the first time, after stumbling across your website on Pinterest! Not having everything on hand, I improvised! I used ziti, asparagus, and smoked gouda! Still a very delicious recipe! My Italian husband gave it high praise! Thanks so much!
I made this last week for my family – I halved it and it still made a full 8×8 pan, which is plenty! We thought it was delicious! Who couldn’t like the flavor of smoked mozz? It gives it such a unique kick!
Made this tonight for company and it was fabulous! This will be a keeper. I used regular mozzarella and it was delicious. I would like to try adding a little procuitto next time to bring in some smoky flavor. Thank you!
I LOVE this recipe, but my kids are only so-so fans. Finally realized they didn’t like the texture of the garlic and onions in the sauce so when I made it tonight I subbed garlic and onion powder and it worked like a charm! Nice smooth sauce that the kids would eat! (Although I still couldn’t get them to touch the sundried tomatoes and broccoli.) I’ve made this in the past with different cheeses and it’s always turned out great. Tonight I had some cheese from sandwiches and other recipes I needed to use up so I threw in a slice each of swiss, smoked provolone, and smoked gouda….yum! Thanks for all your great recipes!
Hi Mel, nice to meet you 🙂 fellow Wisconsin food blogger here, though I’m way down at the bottom of the state. Anyway, I made this recipe with several adaptations and we absolutely loved it, so glad I found you! Oh, and I saw in the comments that someone asked if you could use milk instead of cream. I used 1% milk and it worked great. 🙂 Thanks again and you can see my version here http://amandascookin.com/2012/06/baked-penne-with-chicken-broccoli-smoked-gouda.html
Good recipe, bit overwhelming the first time (ESPECIALLY if you’re using an electric stove where it takes forever for anything to boil). I bought the fancy $7 a block Fontina cheese, couldnt find the smoked mozzarella, and personally wasnt that impressed taste wise. If I do this again I’ll probably just buy some good ole pre shredded mozzarella.
If you prep, this dish does not take forever to make. Just get everything ready in advance so all you have to do is keep adding your ingredients as you go along. I made this for dinner tonight- I loved it! I had fresh thyme so I used that instead. I grated parmesan and mozzarella over it instead of the bread crumb topping just because I wanted more cheese. The sauce is so flavorful and wonderful, I loved it!
I made this last night for dinner. After BFF made it and it took her 3 hrs, I was pleased with 1:20 prep to oven time. It does take a while. I looked at 3 stores and could not find smoked Mozz, so I used half fresh mozz and half Asiago. (not enough smoky flavor still…) Had a Tbl of SDTomatoes in oil, used those plus rehydrated some dried in hot water while prepping. (ps… used the OIL from SDT’s to toss in the pasta after cooking… genius!)
Using just one pot is genius, as it already makes LOTS of dishes, but I might try the ROASTING tip for the broccolli, onions and garlic next time, and use shredded chicken. I like the tip using liquid smoke… wish I’d thought of that! Will also try adding wine for some of the broth next time. AND adding bacon… genius! I forgot to add bread crumbs… didn’t have any on hand… but using RITZ?… also genius! Wish I’d read that before!
LOVE Mel’s recipes! Always great, yummy and success!!! (From one Melanie to another Melanie!)
Does anyone know how to find calorie content for this dish?
I just made this last night and it was outstanding!
My adjustments:
I didn’t have chicken on hand so I added frozen peas for extra veggies
Used Panko instead of Bread crumbs
Added about a cup of dry white wine to sauce
Used shredded mozz instead of smoked mozz
It was great, lots of flavor and very moist. Even the re-heated left overs were tasty!
This recipe was my intro to your blog when I stumbled upon the link here: http://lavenderandlilies.blogspot.com/2012/02/pinterest-recipes.html, and it was REALLY yummy! My husband and 6-year-old both loved it too. I’m now searching your archives and making a (long) list of other recipes to try. Next up: The Broccoli Beef. Mmmm. So glad I’ve stumbled upon your site!
This is absolutely delicious! I used leftover shredded chicken instead of cooking from raw (just to save a bit of time), doubled the smoked mozz., left out the tomatoes (because I forgot to buy them, oops!), and used Ritz crackers for the topping instead of breadcrumbs (at my husband’s request…he’s not a breadcrumb fan). I divided it into two 8×8 pans, baked one right away and froze the other. We had the frozen one tonight and it was just as yummy! Freeze the breadcrumb topping separately (just attach the bag with the topping to the pan with the pasta) so it doesn’t get soggy when it thaws, then thaw and bake using the make ahead directions. So, so good!
mmm
by the most delicious pasta i’ve ever had outside a restaurant. the only substitutions i made we swapping oregano for thyme, and regular mozz for smoked, but i was totally blown away by how flavorful the sauce was. i would also love to hear how people fare with freezing the recipe. i cut down the prep time a bit by using pre-grilled chicken, and will probably do so again, as it is a bit time consuming. thanks for the deliciousness!
Mary K – I’ve never frozen and baked later but if you look through the comments, I think others have tried it. If they haven’t, I think it’s probably worth a try and would fare decently.
Can you freeze this and bake later? Will it turn out the same?
This was awesome! It was a bit time consuming, but so worth it in the end. My husband kept complimenting me through the entire meal. Thank you so much!
Adrienne – for the dehydrated sun-dried tomatoes, submerge them in very hot water and let them sit for about 20 minutes. Drain and then slice them up for the recipe.
I second Jen M’s question – looked through and I couldn’t find the answer. I have sundried tomatoes in a bag, should i do anything to them before adding them?
Sierra – I think it would work out just fine, especially if you are used to vegetarian meals.
this looks so yummy! i don’t eat meat though… wondering if the dish would suffer if i left chicken out and used veggie broth? can’t wait to try it though!
Hi Mel, just to say thank you for the recipe. I made this for dinner earlier tonight. Had to use regular mozzarella as I just can’t get hold of smoked mozzarella over here in Liverpool (UK) and had to skip the breadcrumbs as I just don’t have any! But it still tasted really lovely… and indulgent… 🙂 Everyone loved it, my kids too!
I made this the other night for my family. We all loved it. I didn’t start making it until 6:30 and we ate around 8:00. So it did take a while to prepare for oven time. But next time I will just have to start a little earlier. Wonderful hearty meal for a cold night. Loved it. Thanks again for sharing it
Thanks for sharing, it sounds so good!!! I am not a cream sauce person. Do you think leaving the heavy cream out will ruin the recipe? Thanks for sharing!
Tendayi Taylor
Tendayi – if you left out the cream, you would probably have to play around with the broth (adding more) so the pasta isn’t so dry. I think this particular recipe really benefits from the cream, personally, but if you try it without, let me know how it turns out.
Can’t wait to try this recipe, looks so flavorful! I’ve been looking to try a chicken recipe with white wine in it, do you think it would work to add a little white wine (assuming i use regular mozz) to this sauce? or would it not blend well with the other flavors?
Thank you in advance for any suggestions!
Denise, I’m almost positive this recipe included the white wine to begin with but because I don’t generally cook with wine, I omitted it. So yes, I think you could easily add white wine to this recipe and have it work well with the flavors!
This was fantastic! We used regular mozzerella, because that’s what was requested. We also omitted the sun-dried tomatoes and added crimini mushrooms to the sauce. It was a hit!
Suzanne – you could probably get away with using basil or oregano, it will change the flavor slightly, but if you like those herbs, it should work out ok.
Do you have any good ideas for something other than thyme to use to flavor the dish?
I made this last night and it was delicious! I didn’t have an onion so I just added a lot of onion powder and onion flakes. I also cut the recipe in half since it was just for me and my husband. I wound up having seconds and there’s still a very large portion left in the fridge for later! I also used regular shredded mozzarella (Sargento) instead of smoked.
I have to say, the sundried tomatoes are a must! They really add an explosion of flavor to every bite. And I loved the breadcrumb topping. This was a great meal, and I’m looking forward to having it again (though next time with a real onion — and maybe a half and half instead of heavy cream for a little less guilt).