One Pot Skillet Pasta
We found this recipe created by Kate Sherwood in Nutrition Action Healthletter. It was in an article about "One Pot Wonders" in a very old issue (Jan/Feb 2009). I couldn't find it online.We've modified the recipe to use ingredients we are more likely to have on hand. This is how we make it. We've liked it every time.
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces (or use equivalent amount of chicken breast that you've cooked previously)
- 1 T olive oil, or only use 1/2 T if using already-cooked chicken
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 3 scallions, chopped (or equivalent amount of onion if you don't have scallions)
- 4 oz whole wheat ziti or penne or other pasta (bow-tie is nice)
- 1-3/4 cups milk, divided (any kind from skim to whole)
- 3/4 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 lb broccoli, cut into small florets
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup dried tomatoes (Or you can use 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes. We just throw in supersweets that we have dried ourselves. They reconstitute while cooking and are delicious.)
- 1/4 cup parmesan or romano cheese, grated
- black pepper to taste
- salt to taste (might not need any if broth is salty)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Skip the next 3 steps if you are using already-cooked chicken.
- Add the chicken and cook without stirring until browned, 2-3 minutes.
- Stir and continue to cook 1 minute longer. (It won't be fully cooked.)
- Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Put the garlic, pepper flakes, and scallions into the skillet and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the pasta, 1-1/4 cups of the milk, and the broth.
- Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, stirring frequently, until it forms a thick sauce, about 12 minutes.
- Stir in the broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, and the remaining milk.
- Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until the broccoli turns bright green and is almost tender, 3-5 minutes.
- Stir in the cheese and chicken.
- Simmer, uncovered until the chicken is cooked through, 1-2 minutes.
- Season with pepper and salt (if needed).