Chicken Broccoli Pasta Alfredo with Prosciutto

Chicken and Broccoli Penne Alfredo with Prosciutto
serves 6


olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, rinsed and patted dry
salt and pepper to taste
1 medium onion, chopped (about 3/4 to 1 cup)
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup water
1 quart heavy cream, divided
1 teaspoon arrowroot powder or cornstarch
1 cup grated parmesan-romano cheese blend
2-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 pound cooked penne pasta, drained
1/2 pound bag frozen broccoli, cooked according to package directions
1/4 pound prosciutto, thinly sliced and chopped


Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil--about 3 tablespoons--and chicken breast halves. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, turning occasionally, until just cooked through. Remove from skillet and set aside.


Add more oil to the pan if needed. Add onion and saute, stirring often, until transparent (about 3-5 minutes). While onion is cooking, cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add garlic to the onion and saute until fragrant (30 seconds to 1 minute).


Return chicken to pan and add water. With a wooden spoon, scrape up any browned bits that have accumulated in the pan.


Pour 1/2 cup heavy cream into a liquid measuring cup and set aside. Add remaining cream to the pan with the chicken, onion and garlic. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to low.


While whisking or stirring with a fork, sprinkle arrowroot powder into reserved 1/2 cup heavy cream. Mixture should be smooth.


When chicken mixture in pan comes to a simmer, stir in cream-arrowroot powder mixture. Return to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thickened (about 2 minutes). Add parmesan-romano cheese blend and 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese; stir to combine and remove from heat.


Place cooked penne pasta in a greased 13x9x2-inch pan. Top with cream sauce and cooked broccoli. Gently stir to combine. Top with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and prosciutto. Bake in preheated 350*F oven for 15 minutes.



Notes

• Reheating is a bit fiddly, so this should be made fresh for dinner.
• If you wish to reheat leftovers, you'll find that your cream sauce has mostly soaked into your pasta. Gently reheat in a saucepan over a low flame with added milk or cream, stirring gently and occasionally.
• A delicious variation would be peas instead of broccoli, and cappicola (hot) ham instead of prosciutto!