Creamy Chicken, Broccoli and Bean Pasta
Creamy chicken, broccoli and green bean pasta with yellow wax beans and garlic-Parmesan sauce—a colourful, comforting family dinner.
This creamy chicken, broccoli and green bean pasta combines tender chicken breast, short pasta and colourful vegetables in a garlic-Parmesan cream sauce. A little Dijon mustard and lemon juice balance the richness without overpowering the dish. Yellow wax beans add extra colour; add them after the green beans to keep them from becoming too soft. Finish with parsley and a light sprinkle of nigella seeds for a comforting family dinner.
Creamy Chicken Pasta with Colourful Vegetables
Tender chicken, broccoli, green beans and yellow wax beans come together with short pasta in a garlic-Parmesan cream sauce. Dijon mustard and lemon add a little brightness to this comforting family dinner.
Rich Sauce, Tender-Crisp Beans
The pasta catches the creamy sauce, while the vegetables add texture. Adding the yellow beans after the green beans helps keep them from becoming limp. Save some pasta water too—a splash loosens the sauce before serving.
A Dinner for Any Season
Serve this chicken and vegetable pasta on a busy weeknight or for a relaxed weekend meal. It’s cosy enough for chilly evenings and a lovely way to use fresh garden beans in summer.
How to Make Creamy Chicken, Broccoli and Bean Pasta
Prep the Chicken, Broccoli and Beans
Cut the chicken breast into similar-sized pieces, trim the green and yellow beans, and divide the broccoli into small florets. Having everything ready makes this creamy chicken pasta easier to bring together. Keep the yellow beans separate so you can add them later—they softened more quickly than the green beans when I made this dish.
The Best Pasta for This Creamy Chicken Dinner
I used this durum wheat semolina pasta for the creamy chicken and vegetable pasta. The small curled shape catches the cream sauce really well, so every bite has plenty of flavour. It cooks in about eight minutes and holds its shape nicely without becoming too soft. Any similar short pasta will work, but spirals, curls or small shells are especially good for a creamy chicken pasta recipebecause they hold onto the sauce, chicken and vegetables.
Curly Pasta That Catches the Cream Sauce
Short, curled pasta holds the garlic-Parmesan sauce beautifully in this creamy chicken and vegetable pasta. Cook until just al dente, as it will soften a little more in the skillet. Before draining, reserve cooking water for the vegetables and a little extra to loosen the sauce.
Kitchen Tip for Silky Garlic Parmesan Sauce
Add reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time when tossing the chicken, broccoli and beans through the cream sauce. Stir gently over low heat and stop when the sauce coats the pasta easily. It thickens as it sits, so leave it slightly looser in the pan and serve straight away.
Creamy Chicken, Broccoli and Bean Pasta
Equipment
- Large pot
- Large skillet
- Colander
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
- Cheese grater
- Small whisk
- Serving bowls
Ingredients
Chicken and Pasta
- 2 chicken breasts boneless and skinless, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 300 g pasta (short) or noodles
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
Vegetables
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1½ cups green beans trimmed
- 1½ cups yellow wax beans trimmed
Cream Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small shallot or ½ small onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Garnish
- 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds or nigella seeds
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- Parmesan cheese freshly grated
Instructions
Cook the pasta.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until just al dente. Before draining, transfer 2–3 cups of the cooking water to a medium saucepan. Reserve another ½ cup separately for loosening the sauce. Drain the pasta and set aside.
Partially cook the green beans.
- Bring the reserved water in the saucepan to a gentle boil. Add the green beans and cook for 2 minutes. Add a little hot water if needed to cover the vegetables.
Add the yellow beans and broccoli.
- Add the yellow wax beans and broccoli. Cook for another 2 minutes, giving the green beans approximately 4 minutes in total. The yellow beans I used softened more quickly, so adding them later kept them from becoming limp. Drain the vegetables.
Season the chicken.
- Pat the chicken pieces dry and season them with salt, pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning.
Cook the chicken.
- Cook for approximately 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden and the thickest pieces reach 74°C (165°F). Transfer to a plate.
Start the cream sauce.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Melt the butter in the same skillet. Add the shallot and cook for 2–3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
Thicken the sauce.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir for about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, followed by the cream.
Add more flavour.
- Stir in the Dijon mustard, Italian seasoning, Parmesan, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Simmer gently for 3–4 minutes until the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon. Do not let it boil hard.
Combine everything.
- Return the chicken to the skillet. Add the drained pasta, broccoli and beans. Toss gently until everything is covered in the creamy garlic-Parmesan sauce. Add a little reserved pasta water when needed to loosen it.
Serve.
- Spoon the creamy chicken pasta into bowls. Finish with parsley, extra Parmesan and a light sprinkling of black sesame or nigella seeds.
Notes
- Cut the chicken breasts into evenly sized pieces so they cook quickly and stay tender in this creamy chicken pasta recipe.
- Cook the short pasta only until al dente. It will soften a little more when tossed with the warm garlic-Parmesan cream sauce.
- Reserve about ½ cup of pasta water before draining. A small splash helps loosen the sauce and makes it cling nicely to the noodles.
- Add the green beans before the yellow beans. I found the yellow beans cooked more quickly, so adding them later kept them from becoming too soft.
- Keep the broccoli slightly firm. It continues to cook once everything is combined in the skillet.
- Let the chicken develop a little golden colour before stirring. Those browned bits add extra flavour to this easy creamy chicken and vegetable pasta.
- Simmer the cream sauce gently rather than boiling it. High heat can cause the sauce to separate or become oily.
- Freshly grated Parmesan melts more smoothly than packaged shredded cheese and gives the sauce a richer, creamier texture.
- Dijon mustard and lemon juice add depth and help balance the richness of the cream without making the sauce taste strongly of mustard or lemon.
- Use the nigella seeds as a finishing garnish. They have a distinctive peppery, slightly onion-like flavour, so a light sprinkle is enough.
- Taste the sauce before adding extra salt. Parmesan cheese and chicken broth can already be quite salty.
- Serve this creamy chicken, broccoli and bean pasta soon after mixing. The pasta continues to absorb the sauce as it sits, but a splash of milk or broth will loosen leftovers.