Ingredients:
- 12 oz Dried Penne or Rigatoni
- 4 cups Fresh broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 1.5 lbs Boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tsp Smoked paprika
- 0.5 tsp Salt
- 0.25 tsp Black pepper
- 2 tbsp Unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp All-purpose flour
- 1.5 cups Reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1.5 cups 2% milk
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 0.5 tsp Garlic powder
- 0.5 cup Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 0.5 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 0.5 cup Shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes less than the package directions for al dente. In the final 3 minutes of cooking, add the broccoli florets to the pot. Cook until bright green and slightly tender. Drain the pasta and broccoli together and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken cubes with smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Sear the chicken until golden brown on the outside but slightly underdone in the middle (about 5-6 minutes). Remove chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute to create a roux. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and milk. Simmer until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Stir the Dijon mustard, garlic powder, and grated Parmesan cheese into the sauce until smooth. Remove from heat.
- Fold the cooked pasta, broccoli, and seared chicken into the sauce until evenly coated. If not using an oven-safe skillet, transfer the mixture to a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Sprinkle the panko breadcrumbs and mozzarella cheese evenly over the pasta.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the panko crust is golden brown and shattering-crisp.
- Let the dish sit for 5 minutes before serving. This allows the sauce to set slightly.