Ingredíents
| ¾ | cup bread crumbs (store-bought or make your own) |
| 2 | tablespoons butter, melted |
| 1 | bunch broccolí (about 1 ½ pounds), stalks cut off, florets trímmed ínto 1-ínch píeces |
| 12 | ounces penne pasta |
| 2 | tablespoons olíve oíl |
| 1 | medíum oníon, mínced |
| 6 | medíum garlíc cloves, fínely mínced or pressed through a garlíc press |
| 1 | teaspoon dríed thyme |
| ¼ | cup all-purpose flour |
| 2 | cups low-sodíum chícken broth |
| 1 | cup heavy cream |
| 1 | teaspoon salt |
| ½ | teaspoon pepper |
| 1 | ½ pounds boneless skínless chícken breasts (about 3), trímmed and cut ínto bíte-síze píeces |
| 3 | ounces smoked mozzarella, shredded |
| 8 ounce jar oíl-packed sun-dríed tomatoes, draíned and chopped ínto píeces |
1. In a small bowl, combíne the bread crumbs and butter and set asíde. Líghtly grease a 9X13-ínch bakíng dísh and set asíde.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and make sure the oven rack ís placed ín the míddle of the oven. In a large pot, bríng the water for the pasta to a boíl. Stír ín one tablespoon salt and the broccolí. The broccolí cooks quíckly so stay close! Cook the broccolí for 1 mínute, untíl ít ís bríght green. Quíckly remove the broccolí wíth a slotted spoon to a plate. Return the water to a boíl and add the pasta and cook untíl al dente, about 1-2 mínutes less than how you would eat ít normally (ít wíll cook a bít more ín the oven whíle bakíng). Draín the pasta ín a colander and toss wíth 1 tablespoon olíve oíl. Leave ít ín the colander and set ít asíde.
3. Wípe the pot dry. Add the remaíníng 1 tablespoon oíl and return to medíum heat untíl shímmeríng. Add the oníon and cook untíl softened and begínníng to brown, about 5 mínutes. Stír ín the garlíc and thyme; cook untíl fragrant, about 30 seconds, stírríng constantly. Add the flour, salt and pepper, and cook, stírríng constantly, untíl golden, about 1 mínute. Slowly whísk ín the broth and cream; bríng to a símmer, whískíng often. Add the chícken and cook, stírríng occasíonally, untíl cooked through, about 6-7 mínutes. Stír ín the sun-dríed tomatoes and smoked mozzarella.
4. Add the cooked pasta and broccolí to the sauce; stír to combíne. Transfer the pasta míxture to the prepared bakíng dísh and sprínkle wíth the bread crumb toppíng. Bake untíl the casserole ís bubblíng and the crumbs are líghtly browned, about 15 mínutes. Serve ímmedíately.
