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This chicken broccoli ziti is a delicious weeknight dinner. Ready in 30 minutes and packed with the flavor of delicious white wine and Parmesan sauce.
I don’t know about you, but some nights I just stand there staring into the fridge, hoping dinner will magically appear. That’s exactly where this chicken broccoli ziti comes in.
This no-fuss pasta dinner is made with tender chicken, broccoli, and ziti tossed in a light white wine Parmesan sauce that somehow feels a little fancy without any extra effort.
It’s ready in about 30 minutes, uses simple ingredients, and checks all the boxes. It’s comforting, flavorful, and easy enough for a weeknight when you really don’t feel like overthinking dinner.
Recipe highlights
Chicken Broccoli Ziti
Why you will love this: This pasta is ready in 30 minutes and uses pantry staples. It’s the best weeknight addition to your dinner menu.
Recommended tools: You don’t need anything fancy for this dish! Just a large high-sided 12-inch skillet and you’re set.
Cooking time: This dish takes 10 minutes to prep and just 20 minutes to cook! That means in just 30 minutes you’re sitting down to eat!
Servings: I typically get 4 servings from this recipe.
This chicken broccoli ziti is an easy, 30-minute pasta dinner made with tender chicken, crisp broccoli, and ziti tossed in a light white wine Parmesan sauce. It’s cozy, flavorful, and just fancy enough to feel special without any extra work.
Recipe Breakdown
- Chicken: I like to use boneless, skinless chicken breast for this recipe because it’s easy to find and easy to break down. Make sure to read my substitutions page for ideas using different types of chicken.
- Pasta: Obviously, ziti is the star of the show here, but really, you can use any short pasta shape that will cling to the sauce. I have never used whole wheat pasta in this recipe, but I have tried protein pasta, and it works well.
- White wine: Make sure you use a DRY white wine. Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or unoaked Chardonnay are all good options.
- Broccoli: I use fresh broccoli that I quickly cook in the pasta water. But, if you don’t have fresh, just steam some frozen broccoli and toss it in at the end!
- How to serve: Scoop into a bowl and settle in for a complete comfort meal! If you’re looking for delicious sides, try serving this with my cheesy pesto garlic bread or my green goddess salad!
- Storage and leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a splash of liquid to bring the sauce back to life.
Creamy, garlicky, cozy-in-a-bowl energy that tastes like a weeknight win but feels like you ordered it at a really good restaurant.
FAQ’s
My Pro Tips
Substitutions
Because who actually has everything on hand?
- Chicken:
- White wine:
- Store-bought or homemade chicken stock is a great replacement for white wine. Just remember, if you use wine, make sure it’s dry, NOT sweet.
- Pasta:
- Broccoli:
- Parmesan cheese
- Pecorino Romano – Your closest match. Just a little sharper and saltier. Use slightly less than you would Parmesan.
- Aged Asiago – Adds a slightly nuttier, bolder flavor. Great if you want a little extra oomph.
- Fontina or Mozzarella (in a pinch) – These will melt well and give you creaminess, but you’ll miss that salty bite, so add a pinch of salt to balance.
More Pasta Recipes
Chicken Broccoli Ziti
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 (6 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup dry white wine, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or unoaked Chardonnay are all good options
- 1-1/2 cups chicken stock
- 4 cups broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
- 1 pound ziti pasta
- 6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
- Grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat and add garlic. Saute until frgrant, about 30 seconds.
- Sprinkle cut chicken with salt and pepper then add to the pan. Saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Add white wine to deglaze using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to low and simmer until liquid reduces by half.
- Stir in chicken stock and continue simmering for 5 minutes. Check the sauce for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add pasta.
- Cook according to package instructions, adding the broccoli florets to the pot two minutes before the end of the cooking time. Drain the broccoli and pasta but do not rinse off the cooking liquid.
- Add cooked broccoli and pasta to the pan with chicken in white wine sauce and toss to combine.
- Add shredded mozzarella and toss until it begins to melt.
- Place in a large shallow bowl and garnish with Parmesan cheese to serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is great! So many chicken broccoli ziti recipes are too oily or too heavy. This one is light and creamy and comes together so well. Used mushrooms and veg broth to make it vegetarian friendly for a relative!
This is an easy dish the only thing I would do differently is use a pan that IS NOT nonstick. Don’t get the bits like you would with a regular pan. Great recipe and very easy.
How come when I made this all the cheese melted into one big clump at the end? What did I do wrong?
Great basic recipe. My touch was to cut chicken breasts into medallion slices, salt and pepper the pieces add several teaspoons of minced fresh garlic and sprinkle olive oil to coat all pieces and mix all together in a plastic bag. Refrigerate until you are ready to cook. Saute for five minutes total in olive oil and butter. Half way through add two cups thinly sliced mushrooms. Add chicken broth as needed once chicken/mushrooms are cooked and simmer for a few minutes. While cooking chicken,etc, bring water for pasta to a boil. I always add a few cloves of garlic to the salted water. Drop broccoli into boiling water for at least 3 minutes then quickly remove and then put pasta into water. Once pasta is cooked I add to chicken mushroom picture sprinkling with grated cheese while placing the pasta in the pan. Mix it all together then garnish with the broccoli. When cooking the chicken I use a deep enough nice stainless steel pan that serves as my table bowl.
Enjoy!
I love the simplicity of this recipe… I use cooking dry wine, from the supper market. I season the chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder before sautéing with garlic oil. I don’t use as many garlic cloves. I find the dry wine liquid does not reduce, perhaps because it’s not real wine,
but it doesn’t matter the chicken is tender and there is plenty of flavor. A big hit with my son who is very fussy. I have made this recipe several times, it always comes out great.