Veal stock takes 18 hours to make but creates silky pasta sauce that regular chicken broth simply cannot match.
Chicken Pasta with Broccolini
Dive into a bowl of comfort with this irresistible chicken pasta featuring tender broccolini and a luscious creamy sauce that ties it all together. Sauté your chicken to golden perfection before tossing in al dente pasta and vibrant greens for a dish that’s as delightful to eat as it is to make. Get ready to savor every bite of this quick and satisfying weeknight meal!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
The Story
This dish screams 1980s Northern Italy meets Eastern European café culture—when Italian gastarbeiter returned from Austria and Germany, they brought back sour cream obsessions that horrified Roman purists but created brilliant Alpine-Mediterranean hybrids across Lombardy and Trentino-Alto Adige, where Austrian influences turned traditional Italian simplicity into creamy, stock-enriched comfort food that bridges two continents.
Regional Twist
In Trentino's Bolzano province, they swap the regular Parmesan for aged Grana Trentino and double the veal stock, creating a sauce so rich it coats pasta like velvet armor.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 1 bunch broccolini
- 1 lb (454 g) chicken breast
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) chives
- ½ cup (118 ml) parmesan cheese
- 8 oz (227 g) pasta
- 3 shallots
- 3 tablespoons (44 ml) sour cream
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- diluted veal stock (to taste)
- garlic (to taste)
- veal stock (to taste)
- 1 cup (237 ml) water
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
In a bowl, mix sour cream, veal stock, chives, and minced garlic to create the marinade.
- 2
Marinate the chicken breast in the mixture for at least 30 minutes.
- 3
Cook the pasta according to package instructions, adding broccolini in the last 3 minutes of cooking.
- 4
In a skillet, sauté shallots until translucent, then add the marinated chicken and cook until fully cooked.
- 5
Combine the cooked pasta and broccolini with the chicken and add diluted veal stock and Parmesan cheese.
- 6
Toss everything together and serve hot.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Pound chicken breast to 3/4-inch uniform thickness before marinating so the acidic sour cream penetrates evenly and prevents overcooking of thinner sections.technique3/4-inch thickness
- ✓Add broccolini stems first, then florets 90 seconds later because stems need 4-5 minutes while florets only need 2-3 minutes to maintain proper texture contrast.timing90 seconds offset
- ✓Reserve 1/2 cup starchy pasta water before draining because it contains 2-3% starch that acts as a natural emulsifier when combining with the sour cream sauce.technique1/2 cup, 2-3% starch
- ✓Cook chicken to exactly 160°F internal temperature since the carryover heat will bring it to safe 165°F while the sour cream's acidity helps maintain moisture.timing160°F internal
- ✓Grate Parmesan on the finest setting and add off-heat while tossing because temperatures above 180°F cause the proteins to seize and create a grainy sauce.technique180°F threshold
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Veal stock takes 18 hours to make but creates silky pasta sauce that regular chicken broth simply cannot match.
Chicken Pasta with Broccolini
Dive into a bowl of comfort with this irresistible chicken pasta featuring tender broccolini and a luscious creamy sauce that ties it all together. Sauté your chicken to golden perfection before tossing in al dente pasta and vibrant greens for a dish that’s as delightful to eat as it is to make. Get ready to savor every bite of this quick and satisfying weeknight meal!
The Story
This dish screams 1980s Northern Italy meets Eastern European café culture—when Italian gastarbeiter returned from Austria and Germany, they brought back sour cream obsessions that horrified Roman purists but created brilliant Alpine-Mediterranean hybrids across Lombardy and Trentino-Alto Adige, where Austrian influences turned traditional Italian simplicity into creamy, stock-enriched comfort food that bridges two continents.
Regional Twist
In Trentino's Bolzano province, they swap the regular Parmesan for aged Grana Trentino and double the veal stock, creating a sauce so rich it coats pasta like velvet armor.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 1 bunch broccolini
- 1 lb (454 g) chicken breast
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) chives
- ½ cup (118 ml) parmesan cheese
- 8 oz (227 g) pasta
- 3 shallots
- 3 tablespoons (44 ml) sour cream
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- diluted veal stock (to taste)
- garlic (to taste)
- veal stock (to taste)
- 1 cup (237 ml) water
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
In a bowl, mix sour cream, veal stock, chives, and minced garlic to create the marinade.
- 2
Marinate the chicken breast in the mixture for at least 30 minutes.
- 3
Cook the pasta according to package instructions, adding broccolini in the last 3 minutes of cooking.
- 4
In a skillet, sauté shallots until translucent, then add the marinated chicken and cook until fully cooked.
- 5
Combine the cooked pasta and broccolini with the chicken and add diluted veal stock and Parmesan cheese.
- 6
Toss everything together and serve hot.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Pound chicken breast to 3/4-inch uniform thickness before marinating so the acidic sour cream penetrates evenly and prevents overcooking of thinner sections.technique3/4-inch thickness
- ✓Add broccolini stems first, then florets 90 seconds later because stems need 4-5 minutes while florets only need 2-3 minutes to maintain proper texture contrast.timing90 seconds offset
- ✓Reserve 1/2 cup starchy pasta water before draining because it contains 2-3% starch that acts as a natural emulsifier when combining with the sour cream sauce.technique1/2 cup, 2-3% starch
- ✓Cook chicken to exactly 160°F internal temperature since the carryover heat will bring it to safe 165°F while the sour cream's acidity helps maintain moisture.timing160°F internal
- ✓Grate Parmesan on the finest setting and add off-heat while tossing because temperatures above 180°F cause the proteins to seize and create a grainy sauce.technique180°F threshold