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Creamy chicken pasta with broccoli, green and yellow beans in a rich Parmesan cream sauce, finished with nigella seeds.

Creamy Chicken, Broccoli and Bean Pasta

This creamy chicken and vegetable pasta is made with tender chicken breast, broccoli, green beans and yellow wax beans tossed with noodles in a rich garlic-Parmesan cream sauce. Dijon mustard, lemon and Italian seasoning give the sauce more flavour without overpowering the fresh vegetables.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American, Canadian
Servings 4 servings
Calories 822 kcal

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.
    • Add the yellow beans a few minutes after the green beans because they tend to cook faster. This simple step keeps the vegetables tender-crisp and gives your creamy chicken and vegetable pasta better colour, texture and fresh flavour.

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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 822kcalCarbohydrates: 74gProtein: 45gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 21gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 164mgSodium: 1090mgPotassium: 1126mgFiber: 7gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1930IUVitamin C: 71mgCalcium: 312mgIron: 4mg
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