I’m not sure you can call this a “recipe” so much as a bunch of things we always have in our fridge and pantry that look really good together in a bowl?! One night we were debating what to do with grilled chicken and so we made a really good orzo recipe. The next time we wanted it, we only had farfalle in the pantry, so “Bowties and Broccoli” was born. We typically have one grain-heavy meal a week, so this has become our go-to weeknight pasta recipe that makes enough for lunch the next day. We can’t convince the girls to eat it since there is “green stuff” involved, but we don’t mind since we don’t like to share!
Somehow I managed NOT to get the broccoli in this picture, but you’ll need a box of Mini Farfalle, low sodium chicken broth, 3 large boneless chicken breasts, a few small lemons, a log of your favorite goat cheese, 1 large broccoli stalk and spices to taste.
Add almost the entire box of broth (you’ll need about a half cup for the broccoli) and the juice of a few lemons to a large pot and bring to a boil. I try to use just enough liquid that I don’t have to drain the pasta, but there is enough to reserve in case I need to thin the sauce a little later.
While the broth is coming to a boil, I trim the chicken and cut it into smaller pieces since it cooks faster. Josh usually cooks it on a grill pan or in the electric skillet. He likes “Slap Ya Mama” seasoning to give the whole dish a little kick, but salt pepper and garlic would work well, too.
After I throw the pasta in the broth, I cut an entire pack of fresh broccoli into the tiniest florets possible, but you could also use a bag of pre-cut broccoli if you prefer. I use a steam basket to cook it on the stove and I usually add some minced garlic, juice from half a lemon and about 1/2 cup of chicken broth in the boiler. If you don’t have a steam basket, you could roast it in the oven or even leave it raw — it will soften some when we add everything together. I’ve done that several times when I was in a hurry and it’s just as good, the broccoli just has a little more bite.
One the chicken is cooked all the way through, we chop it up a little smaller so that everything is bite-sized.
I scoop out what little broth is left after the noodles are done and then add the broccoli, chicken and goat cheese to the noodles. Just stir over medium heat until the goat cheese melts completely. You can add back the reserved broth a little at time until the cheese is nice and smooth, if you need to. The cheese and broth make just enough sauce to coat everything without being too “saucy”. Super simple, light and SO good.
p.s. It’s even better for lunch the next day!
