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๐Ÿ Home ยป Recipes ยป Pasta Recipes

Boursin Pasta with Chicken and Broccoli

Updated: Jan 17, 2024 ยท Published: Aug 8, 2023 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan ยท Leave a Comment

Jump to Recipe
Total Time: 25 minutes mins

Creamy Boursin Pasta with Chicken and Broccoli tastes fantastic with tender broccoli and chicken with an easy Boursin sauce in 30 minutes.

Boursin Paste is a fantastic simple entree recipe for a special meal or quick weeknight dinner. Ready in only 30 minutes using simple ingredients.

๐ŸฅฃIngredients

Chickenโ€”Skinless boneless chicken breast or thighs
Onion
Pantry ingredientsโ€”Olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper
Pastaโ€”almost any pasta will work. Penne or other smaller pasta is a good choice.
Broccoliโ€”frozen or freshBoursin Sauceโ€”Boursin cheese (garlic and herb), Parmesan cheese, Cream or Half & Half, Butter, garlic

spoonfull of Boursin pasta with chicken and broccoli.
Jump To (scroll for more)
  • ๐ŸฅฃIngredients
  • ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐ŸณHow to Make Boursin Chicken with Broccoli and Pasta
  • โœ”๏ธTips to get it right every time
  • Related recipes you will love
  • Serving
  • โฌ‡๏ธHow to make this a "for two" friendly recipe
  • Storage of leftovers
  • โ“FAQs
  • ๐Ÿง€What is Boursin Cheese?
  • ๐Ÿ“–The Recipe Card
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Most Boursin recipes will base their great flavor on the Boursin cheese, which melts smoothly and creates a beautiful sauce.

There is no single inspiration recipe for this dish. It comes from restaurant experiences and several online sources.

๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐ŸณHow to Make Boursin Chicken with Broccoli and Pasta

boursin cheese with raw chicken and ingredients.

1. It is hard to go wrong with this lineup of ingredients.

trimmed and chopped chicken on red board.

2. Trim 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts (about 1 ยฝ pounds) and cut into 1-inch cubes.

chopped onion on black board.

3. Mince 1 small or ยฝ medium onion. Over medium-high heat, add 2 teaspoons of olive oil to a large pan. When shimmering, add chicken. Give the chicken a nice sprinkle of salt and black pepper. After 3-4 minutes, add the onion.

cooked chunks of chicken in pan with thermometer.

4. Cook until chicken is at least 165ยฐโ€”about 10 minutes. Cook ยพ pound of pasta according to package directions. Cook 12 oz. (4 cups) of broccoli florets. You can use fresh or frozen and cook as you wish. I used frozen and microwaved.

adding cheese to sauce in pan.

5. Remove the chicken from the pan. Over medium heat, optionally add 1 tablespoon butter, and when hot, add 1-2 cloves of crushed garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add 2 cups half-and-half. Add two 5.2 oz packages of garlic/herb Boursin cheese and ยฝ cup grated Parmesan.

adding chicken to sauce.

6. Break apart the Boursin. Continue to mix until smoothโ€”about 5-6 minutes. Add the chicken and cooked broccoli.

pour sauce with chicken and brocolli over pasta.

7. Mix well and pour over the cooked pasta. Mix some in the serving dish and top with a sprinkle of Parmesan.

chicken and broccoli on pasta on blue plate/

For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.

โœ”๏ธTips to get it right every time

  1. The chicken breasts are optional. You can use chicken thighs, but cook to 185ยฐ for tenderness. To use rotisserie chicken, substitute 3-4 cups of shredded chicken and cook for 5 minutes with the onion.
  2. To use frozen broccoli, follow the package instructions. To use fresh broccoli, clean, trim, and microwave with a few tablespoons of water in a covered bowl for 3-4 minutes.
  3. The half-and-half is a compromise for a better creamy taste, but heavy cream or chicken broth may be used. The half-and-half contributes 630 calories to the full recipe. Heavy cream would be 821 calories, but chicken broth would only be 22 calories.
  4. The last thing to get right for the best results is to get your timing right. Try to get the pasta done just as the sauce with chicken and broccoli is done. My pasta took 7 minutes, the broccoli was 6 minutes, and the sauce took about 7-8 minutes. Start the sauce, drop the pasta in the boiling water, then turn on the microwave for the broccoli. Perfect timing.

Related recipes you will love

Check out similar recipes, like Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole, Easy Tuna Noodle Casserole, Chicken and Pasta Bake, Baked Chicken Spaghetti, and Creamy Smoked Sausage Pasta.

For delicious comfort food recipes, check out my Meatloaf in a Convection Oven, Old Fashioned Salisbury Steak Recipe, Chicken Fried Steak, or Beef Tips and Gravy.

Serving

Serve with Yeast Dinner Rolls or Honey Wheat Rolls and my Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe for a great ending.

โฌ‡๏ธHow to make this a "for two" friendly recipe

This is an easy recipe to cut in half. The full recipe makes about eight servings, so a half recipe would be "for two" and a set of leftovers.

  1. Use the recipe card and adjust the servings from 8 to 4. Going lower will work, but you start getting more unused ingredients.
  2. Use the amount of ingredients in the ingredient list, not the instructionsโ€”those do not adjust.

Storage of leftovers

Good refrigerated for 4 days and frozen airtight for 2-3 months.

โ“FAQs

What can be substituted for Boursin cheese?

I don't feel there is a good substitute due to the unique flavor, but some choices include flavored cream cheese, goat cheese, feta, farmer's cheese, or gorgonzola.

๐Ÿง€What is Boursin Cheese?

Boursin cheese is a version of  Gournay cheese, a French creamy soft cheese in various flavors. It is similar to cream cheese and has classic garlic and herb flavors. But it melts into a sauce and provides a wonderfully unique buttery taste.

In America, you will usually find in the deli department in small boxes.

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This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

30-Minute Dinner Recipes, Casserole Recipes, Chicken Recipes, Comfort Food Recipes, Pasta Recipes

Have you tried this recipe, or have a question? Join the community discussion in the comments.

๐Ÿ“–The Recipe Card

spoonfull of Boursin pasta with chicken and broccoli

Boursin Pasta with Chicken and Broccoli

From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Creamy Boursin Pasta with Chicken and Broccoli tastes fantastic with tender broccoli and chicken with an easy Boursin sauce in 30 minutes.
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
Servings #/Adjust if desired 8

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Ingredients

US Customary - Convert to Metric
  • 2 Skinless boneless chicken breasts - about 1 ยฝ pounds
  • 1 onion - small or ยฝ medium
  • kosher salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • ยพ pound dry pasta
  • 12 oz broccoli florets - that is one bag frozen, about 4 cups

Sauce

  • 1-2 cloves garlic - optional, crushed
  • 1 tablespoon butter - optional
  • 2 cups half and half
  • 10.4 oz Boursin garlic and herb - 2 packages
  • ยฝ cup grated Parmesan cheese - plus a little to sprinkle at the end

Instructions
 

  • Trim 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts (about 1 ยฝ pounds) and cut into 1-inch cubes.
  • Mince 1 small or ยฝ medium onion. Over medium-high heat, add 2 teaspoons of olive oil to a large pan. When shimmering, add chicken. Give the chicken a nice sprinkle of salt and black pepper. After 3-4 minutes, add the onion.
  • Cook until chicken is at least 165ยฐโ€”about 10 minutes in total. Cook ยพ pound of pasta according to package directions. Cook 12 oz. (4 cups) of broccoli florets. You can use fresh or frozen broccoli and cook as you wish. I used frozen and microwaved.
  • Remove chicken from pan. Over medium heat, optionally add 1 tablespoon butter and when hot, add 1-2 cloves of crushed garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add 2 cups half-and-half. Add two 5.2 oz packages of garlic/herb Boursin cheese and ยฝ cup grated Parmesan.
  • Break apart the Boursin. Continue to mix until smoothโ€”about 5-6 minutes. Add the chicken and cooked broccoli.
  • Mix well and pour over the cooked pasta. Mix some in the serving dish and top with a sprinkle of Parmesan.

Recipe Notes

Pro Tips

  1. This recipe is easy to cut in half if you don't want the leftovers.
  2. Use fresh or frozen broccoli.
  3. The half-and-half is a compromise. You can use heavy cream or chicken broth if you want. Caloric variation is discussed in the post.
  4. Use the chicken you choose, but I suggest skinless boneless chicken breasts cooked to 165ยฐ. You can use thighs and cook to about 185ยฐ.
  5. Good refrigerated for 4 days and frozen airtight for 3 months.

Your Own Private Notes

Click here to save your own private notes only you will see. These will print and be saved for your next visit.
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To adjust the recipe size:

You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories : 459 kcal (23%)Carbohydrates : 20 g (7%)Protein : 29 g (58%)Fat : 29 g (45%)Saturated Fat : 17 g (85%)Polyunsaturated Fat : 0.4 gMonounsaturated Fat : 3 gTrans Fat : 4 gCholesterol : 128 mg (43%)Sodium : 640 mg (27%)Potassium : 118 mg (3%)Fiber : 2 g (8%)Sugar : 3 g (3%)Vitamin A : 650 IU (13%)Vitamin C : 22.3 mg (27%)Calcium : 190 mg (19%)Iron : 1.1 mg (6%)
Serving size is my estimate of a normal size. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.

ยฉ 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors.

Editor's Note: Originally Published August 15, 2016. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.

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