Ingredients

• PASTA
• 1 (16 ounce) package dried rotini pasta
• BROCCOLI SAUCE
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup broccoli florets, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup milk
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (optional)

• 1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
• CHICKEN
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup onion, finely diced
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1 cup broccoli florets, finely chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 cup sour cream (optional)
• 1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated

Cooking guidelines

Cook your rotini pasta in a large pot of boiling, lightly salted water for 7 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain the pasta, cover the pot with a lid and set aside while you prepare your broccoli sauce.

For the sauce, heat a saucepan with the butter over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, stir in the tablespoon of olive oil. Finely chop the broccoli, add it to the saucepan and cook for about 5 minutes or until it becomes tender. Sprinkle the flour over your broccoli and let it color for another minute. Pour over the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Then carefully add the milk and stir gently to blend all the liquids together. Season with salt, pepper and, should you wish, sprinkle in some chipotle chili powder to give the sauce a little more spice. Turn the heat down to medium and let your sauce simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes until it thickens nicely. Meanwhile grate the Cheddar cheese and add it to your sauce at the very end. Stir continually until the cheese melts into the sauce, remove the pot from the heat and set aside while you get the last bit to go into the casserole ready.

Take out a fresh, large skillet and heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Stir in your diced onion, ground chicken and the remaining broccoli. Fry until the chicken is nicely golden on all sides and no longer pink in the center. That should take about 10 minutes. Season to perfection with salt and pepper and, reducing the heat, leave to cook slowly for about 5 minutes or until the liquid has reduced.

Preheat your oven broiler to high. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Pour your silky broccoli sauce over the pasta and toss until everything is blended evenly. For a bit of contrast, feel free to spoon some sour cream into the pasta mixture. Stir your pasta into the chicken mixture and spread evenly in your baking dish. Sprinkle your freshly grated Cheddar cheese over the top.

Pour your silky broccoli sauce over the pasta and toss until everything is blended evenly. For a bit of contrast, feel free to spoon some sour cream into the pasta mixture. Stir your pasta into the chicken mixture and spread evenly in your baking dish. Sprinkle your freshly grated Cheddar cheese over the top.

Bake carefully in the broiler for about 3-5 minutes, during which the cheese should melt and the edges of your casserole turn a delicious golden brown color.