Chicken Broccoli Ziti
A creamy garlic-Parmesan bake, no tomato
Ziti, tender chicken, and broccoli folded into a creamy garlic-Parmesan sauce and baked until golden — a white-sauce answer to red-sauce baked ziti.
How it layers, top to bottom
Photography to come
- Browned mozzarellaUncovered, until it blisters
- Ziti + sauceUndercooked by two minutes
- Ricotta, egg, ParmigianoSet, so it slices clean
- Ziti + sauceGenerous — it drinks liquid
- Sauce, on the baseSo nothing catches
Bake at 375°F (190°C) until the centre reaches 165°F (74°C).
Chicken broccoli ziti swaps marinara for a creamy garlic-Parmesan sauce, so it eats richer and milder than a red-sauce bake. The two things that keep it from turning heavy or dry are blanching the broccoli just until bright and building a proper sauce that clings to the pasta before it ever hits the oven.
Ingredients
Ingredients now scaled for 8 servings.
Equipment
- 9×13-inch baking dish
- Large pot
- Skillet
- Whisk
Directions
- 1
Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- 2
Season the chicken and sear it in the olive oil over medium-high heat until just cooked through; set aside.
⏲ Sear the chicken: ~8 min
Look for: Chicken is golden outside and no longer pink inside.
Food safety: Cook chicken to 165°F (74°C).
- 3
Boil the ziti 2 minutes short of al dente, adding the broccoli for the last 90 seconds so it turns bright green but stays firm; drain together.
⏲ Pasta + broccoli: ~8 min
Look for: Pasta is firm with a chalky center; broccoli is bright and crisp-tender.
- 4
For the sauce, melt the butter and cook the garlic until fragrant, whisk in the flour for a minute, then slowly whisk in the warm milk and cream until smooth and thickened.
⏲ Build the sauce: ~8 min
Look for: Sauce coats the back of a spoon; a line drawn through it holds.
- 5
Off the heat, whisk in the Parmesan and nutmeg and season well — it should taste slightly over-seasoned since the pasta will dilute it.
- 6
Fold the drained pasta and broccoli, the chicken, and the sauce together, then spread in a greased 9×13-inch dish and top with the mozzarella.
- 7
Bake uncovered until the top is golden and the sauce bubbles at the edges.
⏲ Bake: ~22 min
Look for: Edges bubble and the cheese is spotty-golden; do not overbake or the sauce breaks.
Food safety: Reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C).
- 8
Rest 10 minutes; the sauce thickens as it cools so it does not run when served.
⏲ Rest: ~10 min
Troubleshooting & common mistakes
- Overbaking — a cream sauce can break and turn oily if it bakes too long or too hot.
- Overcooking the broccoli, which goes drab and soft; add it at the very end of the boil.
- Under-seasoning the sauce before it meets the pasta, leaving the whole dish flat.
Make-ahead, storage & reheating
- Make ahead
- Cream sauces tighten in the fridge, so this is best baked fresh. If assembling ahead, keep the sauce a little loose and add a splash of milk before baking.
- Storage
- Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container up to 3 days.
- Freezer
- Cream-based bakes can turn grainy after freezing; freeze only if needed, up to 1 month, and reheat gently to 165°F (74°C).
- Reheating
- Reheat covered at 325°F (160°C) with a splash of milk to loosen the sauce, or microwave in short bursts, stirring.
Recipe notes
- A squeeze of lemon or pinch of red pepper flakes cuts the richness.
- Rotisserie chicken works in a pinch — skip the searing step and fold it in.
FAQ
- Is chicken broccoli ziti the same as baked ziti?
- No — this is a white, creamy garlic-Parmesan bake with chicken and broccoli, not the tomato-and-ricotta classic. It is closer to a baked Alfredo than to red-sauce ziti.
- Can I use frozen broccoli?
- Yes. Thaw and pat it dry so it does not water down the sauce, and skip the blanching step since frozen broccoli is already softened.
- How do I keep the sauce from getting grainy?
- Add the Parmesan off the heat and don't overbake. High, prolonged heat is what makes cream and cheese sauces break.
Nutrition (estimate)
Per 1 of 8 servings: ~610 kcal, 38 g protein, 48 g carbs, 30 g fat.
Estimated from the listed quantities with a standard USDA-based ingredient database; not lab-verified. Values are approximate and vary with brands and portioning.
Pantry · shelf-stable
Stock the pantry
Shelf-stable staples for this recipe. Fresh cheese, produce, and meat are best bought locally. As an Amazon Associate, ZitiRecipe earns from qualifying purchases.