Rotini with broccoli, chicken, and cheese

Last night I tried a new recipe from our Greatest Ever Pasta Cookbook. As often happens, I took significant liberties with the recipe, and the result was so tasty that I decided that I needed to document it here so that I can make it again. The above picture isn't the most beautiful as it was an afterthought, and I just snapped a photo of the pasta left over in the bottom of the pot, but you can get the idea.

~3 cups rotini

~1 cup broccoli florets, divided into small sprigs (That comes straight from the book; I like it.)

~1/4 cup butter (I felt like Julie as I used such a delightfully generous portion of butter.)

~2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into thin strips

~2 cloves of garlic, crushed

~1/4 cup chicken broth (or water)

~1 cup half-and-half

~3 1/2 oz fontina cheese with rind removed, chopped into small pieces (Since the fontina is such a splurge, I was thinking about trying to substitute sharp cheddar next time, but the fontina is so good that it's worth it once in a while.)

~salt and pepper to taste

~Parmesan cheese

~"Plunge the broccoli into a pan of boiling salted water. Bring back to the boil for 2 minutes, then drain in a colander and refresh under cold running water. Shake well to remove the water and set aside to drain completely." (Once again, that was straight from the book 'cause it made me smile.)

~Put a large pan of water on to heat for boiling the pasta. Make sure you salt the pasta water too; it really does make a difference!

~Melt the butter in another large pan. Once it's melted add the chicken and garlic. Saute until the chicken is done. (The book says for 3 minutes, but I think I cooked it a little longer than that...you know, little helpers can sometimes be really distracting.)

~Pour the broth and half-and-half over the chicken and stir until well combined. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until it is slightly reduced. (About 7-10 minutes)

~Turn off the heat and stir in the fontina cheese. It should melt in a couple of minutes. Also add salt and pepper.

~Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the directions on the package, and drain it when it's done.

~Add the cooked pasta and broccoli to the sauce, and toss until the sauce evenly covers everything.

~Serve with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.