Chicken-Alfredo Baked Penne

Prep 25 min
Total 55 min
Ingredients 8
Servings 8

This 5-ingredient dinner is not your average chicken Alfredo recipe. This easy, cheesy pasta casserole is packed with palate-pleasers like creamy Alfredo sauce and shredded mozzarella that everyone in your family will love, plus white-meat chicken and chopped broccoli for a hearty dose of protein and veggies. MORE+ LESS-

By Nicole Nared-Washington

Updated June 13, 2019

Ingredients

oz (about 4 cups) uncooked penne pasta (from 16-oz box)

tablespoons olive oil

packages (14 oz each) chicken tenders (not breaded), cut into 1-inch pieces

1/4

teaspoon salt

1/4

teaspoon ground pepper

bag (12 oz) frozen broccoli cuts, thawed

jars (16 oz each) Alfredo pasta sauce

cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)

Steps

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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.

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Expert Tips

Place out a small bowl of thinly sliced fresh basil or even dried leaves to sprinkle over each serving, along with freshly ground pepper.
Put a pot of water on to boil, then sauté the chicken and add other ingredients as the pasta is cooking. As your chicken alfredo bake warms in the oven, you can toss a salad or slice some Italian bread. Dinner is served!
Baking the casserole is really just to melt the cheese and allow the flavors to meld. For an even more authentic Alfredo taste, add 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese with the mozzarella.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving

Calories: 780
Calories from Fat: 410

% Daily Value

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

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

More About This Recipe

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.