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Chicken-Alfredo Baked Penne

Chicken-Alfredo Baked Penne
  • Prep 25 min
  • Total 55 min
  • Ingredients 8
  • Servings 8
This 8-ingredient chicken-Alfredo bake is a step above your average Alfredo recipe. If you're on the lookout for a dish that answers cheesy cravings, but still delivers a hearty dose of protein and veggies, this cheesy chicken Alfredo is your tasty solution. Every bite of broccoli and white-meat chicken is moist and flavorful in a creamy sauce. Add this chicken broccoli Alfredo bake to your weeknight rotation, and your table will always be full.
By Nicole Nared-Washington
Updated February 11, 2021

Ingredients

  • 12 oz (about 4 cups) uncooked penne pasta (from 16-oz box)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 packages (14 oz each) chicken tenders (not breaded), cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1 bag (12 oz) frozen broccoli cuts, thawed
  • 2 jars (16 oz each) Alfredo pasta sauce
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)

Steps

  • 1
    Heat oven to 350°F.
  • 2
    Cook pasta as directed on box; drain.
  • 3
    Meanwhile, in 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken, salt and pepper; cook 6 to 8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Add pasta, broccoli and Alfredo sauce; carefully stir until well blended.
  • 4
    Spoon pasta mixture evenly into ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish; sprinkle with cheese.
  • 5
    Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and thoroughly heated.

  • As you spread the pasta-chicken mixture in the baking dish, move chicken and broccoli chunks around to be sure they’re evenly distributed.
  • Place out a small bowl of thinly sliced fresh basil or even dried leaves to sprinkle over each serving of chicken-Alfredo pasta bake, along with freshly ground pepper.
  • Baking the chicken-Alfredo casserole allows the flavors to meld as the cheese melts. For an even more authentic Alfredo taste, add 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese with the mozzarella.
  • This One-Pot Chicken Alfredo Penne is a pasta dish with everything we love: a few ingredients, one-pot and all your favorite flavors.
  • We've made a lightened up version of our chicken-Alfredo bake with a recipe for Lightened-Up Chicken-Alfredo Baked Penne. Fewer calories but all the same love and flavor as the original.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving
Calories
780
Calories from Fat
410
Total Fat
46g
70%
Saturated Fat
26g
129%
Trans Fat
1 1/2g
Cholesterol
165mg
55%
Sodium
1010mg
42%
Potassium
240mg
7%
Total Carbohydrate
49g
16%
Dietary Fiber
3g
13%
Sugars
3g
Protein
42g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
35%
35%
Vitamin C
15%
15%
Calcium
40%
40%
Iron
10%
10%
Exchanges:
2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 4 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 6 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
3
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

  • Chicken Alfredo or fettuccine Alfredo with chicken is an Italian classic that can be found on restaurant menus all over the United States. Although the two terms are often used interchangeably, fettuccine is actually the name of the pasta that is used in the dish and Alfredo is the name of the sauce. You can easily use any kind of pasta when making chicken Alfredo, but penne and fettuccine are the most common. Alfredo was created by Roman restaurant owner Alfredo di Lelio in 1914. When his wife became pregnant, she was constantly nauseous and struggled to keep food down. Lelio made his wife a plain dish of pasta tossed in butter and Parmesan. It became her “pregnancy food” and Lelio later added it to his restaurant’s menu. It was later introduced to the United States after two American actors visited Lelio’s restaurant and ordered the fettuccine Alfredo. They loved it so much, they asked for the recipe and brought it back to America. The dish took off in America, and Lelio’s restaurant became famous as well, but in Italy, fettuccine Alfredo is far less popular and is considered to be plain noodles tossed in butter. Other ingredients like milk, cream and cheese were later added to create the creamy Alfredo sauce that we know and love today. You can find several versions of fettuccine Alfredo in restaurants across the United States, but the most popular additions include broccoli, shrimp and chicken. It’s easily one of best-known pasta dishes we order at restaurants, but making pasta in your own kitchen can make for a simple, yet elegant dinner.
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