Inspiration for Chicken and Broccoli Pasta with Rosa Sauce came from an Italian restaurant my husband and I dined at during our honeymoon. I don't remember much about the pasta other than the intriguing blend of marinara and cream, which has been something I have become quite fond of.
Since I am one of those people who likes to balance a lot of healthy foods with more decadent ingredients, it doesn't surprise me that this sauce has become one of my favorites. Alfredo sauce has always been a little too heavy for me, but sometimes marinara seems a little too light. So, rosa sauce is a happy blend of both ends of the spectrum.
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What ingredients do I need to make Chicken and Broccoli Pasta With Rosa Sauce?
- Frozen diced chicken: I recently discovered this happy shortcut in a bag at Costco. If you aren't able to find pre-cut, frozen (un-breaded) chicken or a similar product, you could always substitute regular diced chicken, and simply adjust the cooking time.
- Dried farfalle pasta (12 oz.): I have also used other types of pasta, such as penne or whole wheat varieties. Any thing that suits your fancy should work.
- Frozen broccoli florets and peas: Certainly you could use fresh broccoli florets and peas instead, but in the interest of keeping this a meal that comes together quickly, I'm suggesting lots of frozen ingredients.
- Red and yellow bell pepper, onions and other vegetables: For this recipe, I added bell peppers and onions, but you could certainly add mushrooms, asparagus tips or other vegetables as you desire.
- Olive oil and red wine vinegar: Depending on how much oil you want to add, 2-4 tablespoons of olive oil should be enough to sauté all of your ingredients. I used a little red wine vinegar to deglaze the pan before I added the marinara and cream. You could also substitute a bit of cooking wine or chicken broth instead of the vinegar, if you prefer. I added a teaspoon of sugar to the sauce to balance out the acidity of my vinegar and marinara sauce.
- Marinara sauce: I used Costco's organic marinara sauce, but you could use Classico or your own homemade sauce if you prefer.
- Seasonings: Salt, black pepper, garlic and herb seasoning, and a generous helping of grated parmesan cheese. If you don't have a garlic and herb mixture, then use regular garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Fresh parmesan cheese would be great, but I used the grated sprinkles and thought it worked well. The sprinkles do a good job of blending into the sauce.
How do I make Chicken and Broccoli Pasta With Rosa Sauce?
Heat a pot of water to boil. When ready, add farfalle pasta and cook until al denté, about 9-11 minutes. Then drain and set aside. You can toss with a little olive oil to keep from sticking.
Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in sauté pan. Add frozen chicken to pan and brown until cooked through (about ten minutes). Season with a little salt and pepper and garlic and herb seasonings. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
Dice peppers and onions. Mince garlic. Add another 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in pan. Add peppers and onions and sauté until onions are translucent. Add minced garlic and sauté a minute or two more. Season with a little more salt and pepper and garlic and herb seasonings.
Meanwhile, heat frozen broccoli in microwave for 5-6 minutes. Add frozen peas to pan and sauté for a minute. When broccoli has just barely defrosted, add to pan as well.
Pour 1 ½ tablespoons of red wine vinegar in pan to deglaze. Then add the marinara sauce and cream. Add cooked chicken and pasta to the sauce pan.
Stir sauce to coat everything, but be careful not to over mix. Adjust seasonings if necessary and sprinkle generously with parmesan cheese.
📖 Recipe
Chicken and Broccoli Pasta With Rosa Sauce
Ingredients
- 6 cups frozen diced chicken
- 4 cups dried farfalle pasta 12 oz.
- 4 cups frozen broccoli florets
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 24 oz. marinara sauce
- 2 tablespoons garlic and herb seasoning
- 1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ cup whipping cream
- grated parmesan cheese
- 2-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Heat a pot of water to boil. When ready, add farfalle pasta and cook until al denté, about 9-11 minutes. Then drain and set aside. You can toss with a little olive oil to keep from sticking.
- Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in sauté pan. Add frozen chicken to pan and brown until cooked through (about ten minutes). Season with a little salt and pepper and garlic and herb seasonings. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
- Dice peppers and onions. Mince garlic. Add another 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in pan. Add peppers and onions and sauté until onions are translucent. Add minced garlic and sauté a minute or two more. Season with a little more salt and pepper and garlic and herb seasonings.
- Meanwhile, heat frozen broccoli in microwave for 5-6 minutes. Add frozen peas to pan and sauté for a minute. When broccoli has just barely defrosted, add to pan as well.
- Pour 1 ½ tablespoons of red wine vinegar in pan to deglaze. Then add the marinara sauce and cream. Add cooked chicken and pasta to the sauce pan. Stir sauce to coat everything, but be careful not to over mix.
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