½ cup panko breadcrumbs or 2 slices of bread, picked into crumbs
½ teaspoon dry Italian seasoning, divided
Salt & pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
250g rotini
2 cups frozen broccoli
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Directions
For the breadcrumbs, place a large sauté pan or braiser over medium heat. Add in 2 tablespoons of butter along with the breadcrumbs and season with the Italian seasoning and a bit of salt and pepper. Toast, tossing frequently, until golden and crisp. Remove the breadcrumbs to a plate and set aside.
Return the pan to the heat and add in another tablespoon of butter. Season the chicken with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken to the pan, turn the heat up to medium-high and cook until golden on both sides and cooked through, about 10 minutes total. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Set the pan aside while you cook the pasta and broccoli.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season well with salt. Cook the rotini according to the package directions or until al dente. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add in the frozen broccoli to cook alongside the pasta. Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid and drain the rest.
Place the sauté pan or braiser back over medium heat. Add in the remaining tablespoon of butter along with the garlic and season with salt and lots of pepper. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute just to take the edge off the garlic and toast the pepper. Carefully pour in the cream and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes or until the cream has reduced by about a quarter.
Add in the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese then stir through the cooked pasta and broccoli. Dice the chicken and add to the pan. Toss to combine, adding a splash of the reserved cooking liquid to thin out the sauce.
