Ultimate Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Cheesecake Factory Copycat Recipe

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Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Cheesecake Factory

Our copycat recipe for Cheesecake Factory’s chicken and broccoli pasta is the ultimate copycat recipe. This recipe is based on the cheesecake factory’s original recipe but has been modified to make it even better. Check out our step-by-step instructions for an easy walk-through of how you can make this deliciously easy meal today!

Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Cheesecake Factory top view

Chicken & Broccoli Pasta

Making a copycat version of the cheesecake factory’s chicken and broccoli pasta dish is a relatively easy meal to make, and it tastes delicious.

There are a few basic ingredients you will need to make this delicious pasta. Not only does this delicious dish feature pasta, but it also includes broccoli, chicken, cheese, and tomatoes. This dish is all-around delicious and makes for a low-cost, easy dinner recipe. 

An Easy Chicken And Broccoli Pasta Recipe

If you are looking for an easy and filling pasta recipe this one is for you! This recipe makes a deliciously filling dinner that the whole family will enjoy. It has a balance of pasta, chicken, broccoli, and tomatoes to allow you a mixture of your protein and vegetables. 

Copycat Cheesecake Factory Chicken and Broccoli Pasta

This recipe is based on the chicken and broccoli pasta recipe from the cheesecake factory, with a few modifications. We will walk you through the step-by-step process of how to prepare this delicious meal. With this recipe, you can enjoy a filling meal in approximately half an hour’s time.

What’s in Cheesecake Factory Chicken Broccoli Pasta?

No, let’s turn our attention to what ingredients you will need to pick up, in order to make this delicious copycat recipe. Below are the ingredients listed that are included in this dish.

Olive oil. The cheesecake factory’s recipe calls for canola oil to be used, however, we prefer to use olive oil. The oil is used to help season the chicken and cook the chicken so that it does not stick to your pan. Either type of oil will work, the preference of which type to use is up to you.

Chicken. The cheesecake factory’s recipe calls for chicken tenders to be used for this recipe. Although chicken tenders work best, we have also found that you can use chicken breast cut finely as well. Either cut of chicken will work well for this dish.

All-purpose Flour. All-purpose flour is used to thicken the sauce for this pasta recipe. If you have allergy needs, gluten-free flour may also be used, or you could substitute flour and use cornstarch instead.  

Garlic. There are a couple of different types of garlic that we like to use in this recipe. The cheesecake factory’s recipe calls for four cloves of minced garlic, however, we like to add some garlic powder in addition to the minced garlic cloves. This is sure to give your dish some delicious flavoring. 

Broccoli. For this recipe, you can use frozen or fresh broccoli. The cheesecake factory’s recipe instructs you to use one cup of broccoli that is chopped ½ inch, and 1 cup broccoli florets in 1-inch pieces.

It is our preference to use frozen broccoli florets that have been roasted in the oven for approximately eight minutes before combining them into the dish. This allows the broccoli florets to be nice and warm, and they are already in small pieces and require little work. 

Pasta. The Cheesecake Factory serves rigatoni pasta for this dish, however, it is not a requirement when making chicken and broccoli pasta. Honestly, you can use whatever type of pasta you prefer.

We enjoy using penne pasta when making this dish. Whatever kind of pasta you have on hand will work well, simply be sure to cook it until your pasta is al dente before mixing everything together. 

Chicken Broth. Chicken broth is the foundation of this sauce recipe. There are a few different ways you can obtain chicken broth. Our favorite is to use the natural broth from the chicken as it cooks. This means that you’ll want to add extra water to the chicken as it cooks. If it’s not strong enough, you can always add a cube of chicken bouillon.

For a vegan version of this recipe, simply use vegetable broth rather than chicken broth. Of course, you can use your choice of chicken broth for this recipe as well. 

Garlic Butter. The Cheesecake Factory’s recipe calls for garlic butter to be included in the sauce for this recipe. If you are not able to use the garlic butter, you can simply use butter, and add a dash of additional garlic powder.

Cheese. This recipe from the Cheesecake Factory calls for grated Parmesan cheese to be added on top of your pasta. While you get the best results using freshly grated Parmesan cheese, you may also use mozzarella cheese as a substitution if desired. 

Tomatoes. For a bit of added color, and flavoring, tomatoes are included in this dish. You will get the best results when you use oven-roasted Roma tomatoes that are cut in half.

If you do not have oven-roasted tomatoes, you can easily achieve the results by baking Roma tomatoes in the oven for a few minutes until they become soft.

If you prefer smaller pieces of tomato, you could also quarter your tomatoes, and cook them on your stovetop for a few minutes until they become soft, before mixing them into your dish.

Lemon. The Cheesecake Factory’s recipe calls for a lemon wedge to be squeezed into the pasta dish. However, if you do not have a lemon to squeeze fresh juice from, you can use a drizzle of lemon juice instead. 

Croutons. For this recipe, croutons are crushed and sprinkled evenly on top of the pasta before it is served. The step is optional if you prefer to omit the croutons from your recipe. However, they do provide a nice bit of texture, in color to the dish. 

Seasonings. Basic seasonings are used for making the Cheesecake Factory’s chicken and broccoli pasta. You will want to include salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and a bit of garlic powder. Otherwise, if you want to add include more seasoning. 

How do you make Chicken Broccoli Pasta

An overview of how you make this pasta dish is to begin by bringing a pot of water to boil. Once it is boiling, you will add your noodles, and boil until they are al dente. Once your noodles are done, drain all of the liquid, then drizzle and toss with a bit of olive oil before placing back over very low heat to keep them warm.

Next, toss your chicken with a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, and flour. Place your pieces of chicken into a sauté pan and cook over medium heat. As they begin to cook through, add your minced garlic, salt, pepper, red chili flakes, and water, or chicken broth. Stir to combine the mixture, then cover and allow to simmer over medium heat until your chicken is cooked all the way through. 

While your chicken is cooking, add your garlic butter to the noodles and allow it to melt. Roast your tomatoes in lemon juice and prepare your broccoli.

We recommend pre-baking your broccoli at 350°F for approximately eight minutes so that it softens up. When your chicken has cooked through, add your broccoli to the noodles, followed by your chicken mixture, finally add tomatoes.

Stir to combine the mixture. Allow your pastor to sit over medium-low heat for a few minutes so that you are sure your pasta is warmed all the way through. Place your pasta into serving bowls, and top with shredded cheese. Serve and enjoy! 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This recipe is so easy to love because it is a simple recipe that allows you to make a deliciously filling meal. This chicken and broccoli pasta recipe has many components that you need, making it pretty much a whole meal in and of itself. This pasta dish requires very little cost to make, and only requires a few minutes of time, rather than slaving in the kitchen all day to prepare it.  

DIY: Copycat Cheesecake Factory Chicken & Broccoli Pasta

Making your own copycat cheesecake factory chicken and broccoli pasta at home is very easy, costs you a fraction of the price, and makes a tasty meal that most everyone in your family will enjoy. This recipe provides you with an entire meal, in one dish. The best thing is this pasta recipe does not take very long to prepare from start to finish and tastes great! 

Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Cheesecake Factory top down

Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Recipe

Details

Yield: 4 servings
Total Time: approximately 30 minutes

Ingredients

4 Tbsp olive oil
3 cups chicken, cut into small (3/4” pieces)
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
8 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp coarse salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp red chili flakes
12 oz broccoli florets
8 oz rigatoni dry pasta
1 cup chicken broth
4 Tbsp garlic butter
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
½ cup oven-roasted Roma Tomatoes, diced
2 wedge lemon, or 1 ½ Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp crushed croutons (optional)

Instructions

Step 1: Pasta

Fill a saucepan part of the way with water. Place the water on high heat, and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, add your pasta and boil until the noodles are al dente. Once done, drain all the water, toss the noodles with a drizzle of olive oil, in place back over low heat. 

Step 2: Chicken

While your noodles are boiling, take your pieces of chicken, and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and flour. Toss until the chicken is coated evenly, then placed into a sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil, and a bit of water to the pan. Cover and cook the chicken until you begin to say that it is a quarter of the way done. 

Step 3: Sauce

To your chicken, add salt, pepper, red chili flakes, minced garlic, and chicken broth. Stir to combine, then continue cooking until your chicken is completely cooked, and has an internal temperature of 165°F. 

Step 4: Broccoli and Tomatoes

Next, take your broccoli, and bake it in the oven at 350° for approximately eight minutes, or until it is warmed through. You can also roast your tomatoes in the oven, drizzled in lemon juice. Bake both the broccoli and tomatoes just until they are roasted. You may also heat the tomatoes in lemon juice on the stovetop if needed. 

Step 5: Assemble

When all your components are just about done, add your garlic butter to the noodles and turn your heat to medium. Melt the butter into your noodles. Next, add broccoli to your noodle mixture, stir to combine. Add your chicken and sauce mixture to your noodles, stir until your noodles are all coated in sauce. Finally, add your tomatoes and stir to mix. Keep combined pasta over medium heat for 5 minutes to warm everything all the way through. 

Step 6: Serve

When ready to serve your pasta, place it into your serving bowl and sprinkle croutons evenly across the top. Grate your cheese on top, then serve right away and enjoy! 

Notes

If desired, and the Cheesecake Factory’s original recipe says to squeeze a lemon evenly over the pasta as you serve it, rather than mixing the lemon juice into the tomatoes. 

Nutrition

We estimate the above recipe contains approximately four servings. Therefore, ¼ of the above recipe is equal to one serving. We have estimated that one serving contains 701 calories, 36.8 g total fat, 173 mg cholesterol, 1176 mg sodium, 44 g total carbohydrates, and 50.6 g protein.  

Tips, Tricks and FAQs

One tip to help you as you work on this recipe, to make it all come together faster, is as follows. When you are making this dish, start by bringing the pasta water to a boil. While you’re waiting for the water to boil, season your chicken, and cut it into bite-size pieces. Once seasoned, place it in the sauté pan to begin cooking. 

As your chicken begins to cook, you might have a bit of time to wait. You should be able to add your seasonings to the chicken soon, and then add the pasta to your water as it starts to boil. While the pasta is boiling, you can focus on your broccoli, tomatoes, and chicken mixture. 

Then, drain your pasta once the noodles are done, and drizzle the noodles with olive oil so they don’t stick together. Place the noodles back over low heat and add butter to the noodles. Your butter will melt, as you focus back on the chicken. Now roast your broccoli, and tomatoes so they are warmed, then add them to your noodle mixture. By now your chicken should be about done, so you can finish that out before adding it to your noodles. 

Now that you have everything combined, place your mixture over medium-low heat so that it can warm all the way through before you serve. When you serve, dish up the noodles, then add your shredded cheese, and crushed croutons to the top. Now you are ready to serve your dish. Hopefully, this helps you understand the workflow of the different items! 

Recipe FAQ’s

What type of pasta is best?

Kinds of pasta such as rigatoni, penne, and rotini work the best, but you can use any kind of pasta for this recipe. 

Can I use pre-marinated chicken?

Yes! You can use pre-marinated chicken for this recipe. Simply take your pre-marinated chicken and sprinkle it with flour before adding it to your sauté pan to cook. 

Should I use fresh garlic or the minced kind in the jar?

Either type of garlic works great! The choice is up to you. 

Do I have to use Rigatoni?

No, you can use any kind of pasta for this recipe. 

Do I need the breadcrumbs?

No, this is not a requirement. Using breadcrumbs is optional, and they do not have to be included. 

Can I add more vegetables?

Yes! You can absolutely add more vegetables if you want! We would recommend that if you are going to add more vegetables they should be cut into bite-sized pieces, and pre-roasted before adding to the dish. 

What to serve with Chicken Broccoli Pasta?

Chicken and Broccoli pasta is pretty much a meal in and of its self, so it can be difficult to determine what to serve with it. Some of our suggestions include a salad, bread, or fruit to help balance out the meal. 

Can I use homemade Alfredo sauce?

Yes, if you would rather substitute the chicken broth-based sauce for Alfredo sauce, you may. Simply make your Alfredo sauce separately then combine at the end. You will also want to leave out the flour and chicken broth when you are cooking your chicken. 

Can this recipe be doubled?

Yes! This recipe may be doubled if desired so that it can serve approximately eight people. We currently estimate that the above recipe serves around four people. 

Other fabulous pasta recipes include:

Variations

How To Make Alfredo Pasta With Chicken And Broccoli

To adapt the above recipe to include Alfredo sauce rather than the chicken broth-based sauce is quite simple. Simply prepare your Alfredo sauce in a separate pan, then cook your chicken as instructed in the recipe above, only leave out the flour and chicken broth. Otherwise, prepare as instructed above. 

Cheesy Chicken And Broccoli Pasta Variations

For a cheesier chicken and broccoli pasta cheesecake factory recipe, simply include more shredded cheese into your dish as you start to combine all your ingredients. You can include shredded cheeses such as mozzarella, or Parmesan for a delicious result. Add approximately ½ to one cup of shredded cheese for the above recipe for a cheesy version of chicken and broccoli pasta. 

Chicken & Broccoli Casserole Recipe

You can also adapt the above recipe into a casserole recipe. To do this, simply prepare as instructed above, however, instead of serving after your dish is prepared, pour into a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Sprinkle the top with a mixture of Parmesan, and mozzarella cheese, followed by breadcrumbs. Place into the oven at 350°F and bake until your cheese is melted. They should take approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Then serve and enjoy! 

Crusted Chicken Romano (Cheesecake Factory Copycat!) 

To make crusted chicken Romano take your chicken breast, cut them in half the long way, then pound them to approximately a quarter-inch thick.

Next, in three separate bowls add your flour, then eggs, then bread crumb mixture with Romero and Parmesan cheese.

Take your pieces of chicken, and dip them first in the flour mixture, then your eggs, followed by the breadcrumb mixture. Allow them to sit for a minute, before adding to a sauté pan that has a coat of Canola oil in the bottom. Place into the oil and cook over medium heat and then flip to the other side. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Then serve and enjoy. 

Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Pasta

To make the above recipe for chicken and broccoli pasta creamier, you can add some heavy cream to your chicken mixture. You can also include more shredded cheese in your pasta before serving. If you stir the cheese into the pasta, it will make it cheesier, and the heavy cream will allow your sauce to become extra creamy. 

Storage

Fridge. Any leftover pasta should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days. From the refrigerator, your pasta can be reheated by placing it in the oven at 350° for 10 to 15 minutes. This is just to allow it to warm through. 

Freezer. Leftover pasta may also be frozen if desired. As long as there are no cheese or milk products added to the recipe, it should freeze just fine. To freeze, place the pasta into an airtight container or sealable plastic bag. Store in the freezer for no more than three months before using. 

Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Cheesecake Factory close up

Serving Suggestions

When serving this pasta, place it into your serving dishes, and top with freshly grated cheese, and sprinkle with croutons crumbs. If desired, you could also squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice on top of each one. Serve alongside a salad, fruit, or bread. Serve this pasta well hot and enjoy! 

Copycat Cheesecake Factory Chicken & Broccoli Pasta 

Our recipe is based on the cheesecake factory’s chicken and broccoli pasta recipe; however, we have modified this recipe slightly to make it even better. Our copycat recipe is easy to prepare, requires only a few basic ingredients, and tastes delicious. This pasta dish really is like having an entire meal all in one bowl.

Cheesecake Factory Chicken and Broccoli Pasta

Our copycat Cheesecake Factory chicken and broccoli pasta recipe is easy to make and taste delicious. Not only do you get some delicious pasta, but you also enjoy the protein of chicken, and some vegetables mixed in as well. Don’t take our word for how delicious this pasta dish is, give this recipe a try for yourself today and let us know what you think about it! 

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Faith
Faith Has been cooking and baking for many years! she loves to share her recipes with the world, and hopes you will enjoy them too!

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