🍝 Creamy Chicken Penne with Broccoli & Red Peppers 🥦🌶️
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 3–4
Calories per serving: ~620 kcal
🛒 Ingredients
For the Pasta & Chicken:
🍝 300 g penne pasta
🐔 2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
🫒 2 tbsp olive oil
🧂 Salt & pepper to taste
For the Vegetables:
🥦 200 g broccoli florets
🌶️ 1 red bell pepper, sliced
For the Creamy Sauce:
🧈 1 tbsp butter
🧄 2 garlic cloves, minced
🌶️ 1 tsp paprika (sweet or smoked)
🥛 200 ml heavy cream
🥫 150 g tomato sauce (or passata)
🧀 50 g parmesan, grated
🌿 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
🧂 Salt & pepper to taste
👨🍳 Instructions
Cook pasta: Boil penne in salted water until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup pasta water.
Cook chicken: In a large pan, heat olive oil, season chicken with salt & pepper, and sauté until golden and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
Cook vegetables: In the same pan, add broccoli and red pepper. Cook 4–5 min until slightly tender.
Make sauce: Add butter and garlic, cook 1 min. Stir in paprika, tomato sauce, cream, parmesan, salt & pepper. Simmer 3–4 min until creamy.
Combine: Add pasta, chicken, and vegetables into the sauce. Toss well, adding pasta water if needed for creaminess.
Finish: Sprinkle with parsley and serve warm.
🔁 Notes & Variations
Swap broccoli for zucchini, spinach, or mushrooms.
Add chili flakes for heat.
Works well with penne, fusilli, or rigatoni.