Skillet Chicken with Broccoli, Pasta and Parmesan Cheese

Oh, how we love pasta at our house! I've been spending a little bit of time each day, going through some of my favorite blogs in search of recipes to try and this particular recipe comes from Donna's blog (My Tasty Treasures). If you haven't checked out her blog, I HIGHLY recommend it--not only will you find some wonderful looking recipes, but she's one of the most down-to-earth and entertaining people I have ever "met". I love meals that can be prepared using one skillet and this dish is relatively healthy...bonus! I only made a few minor changes: I substituted penne pasta for ziti, used lemon juice from the bottle (since I didn't have fresh lemons) and I did use half and half instead of heavy cream. I've substituted half and half in countless recipes and have never noticed that much of a difference...except in the price! (Heavy cream is generally about double the cost of half and half). This is a great weeknight meal, but there was a bit of prep involved, so make sure you take that into account! My husband helped me prepare it, so that cut the prep time down significantly, but between cutting up the chicken, broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes and onions, I would allow about 15-20 minutes for prep...depending on how fast you are in the kitchen!

Skillet Chicken with Broccoli, Pasta and Parmesan Cheese

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch squares
Table salt and ground black pepper
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
12 ounces ziti
4 1/4 cups water
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4-5 cups broccoli florets (depending on how much broccoli you want!)
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and chopped coarse
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese or asiago
1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook without stirring for one minute. Stir the chicken and continue to cook until most, but not all, of the pink color has disappeared and the chicken is lightly browned around the edges--1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a clean bowl and set aside.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil, onion and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the skillet. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened--2 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes, and cook until fragrant--about 30 seconds.

Add the pasta, 3 cups of the water, and the broth. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the liquid is very thick and syrupy and almost completely absorbed--about 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, and the remaining 1 1/4 cups water. Cover and reduce heat to medium and cook until the broccoli turns bright green and almost tender, 2-3 minutes.

Uncover and return the heat to medium-high. Stir in the cream, Parmesan cheese, and reserved chicken with any accumulated juices and continue to simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese on top, if desired.

Source: My Tasty Treasures