Chicken and Veggies Pasta Primavera

Growing up I always loved it when my mom made pasta primavera for dinner. It was one of the few times I actually enjoyed eating my veggies when I was younger. I love making it now, not just because it’s so darn delicious, but because it reminds me of my mom and the “good ‘ole years” when my only worries were whether the tooth fairy came or not, or if was going to get to read in school that day. Pasta primavera has always been one of my comfort foods, and lucky for me, it’s a great way to get my veggies in, so I don’t feel guilty eating it!

I decided to make my own rotisserie style chicken for this meal, because I love the flavor and juiciness of rotisserie, and because it’s SO easy to cook a whole chicken on Sunday and use it for recipes throughout the week. Making my own is a huge time saver, super simple and a lot cheaper than buying a rotisserie at the store.
I stumbled upon this recipe by Whole Food Bellies on Pinterest, and it was a total game changer! The lady behind the blog, Donna, is so funny and her recipes are all so delicious. I also love that she focuses on recipes that are healthy and full of whole foods that make my belly happy. I’ve made this rotisserie style chicken three times since I found the recipe, and I’m never buying store-bought again if I can help it! I just smother the chicken in spices, plop it in my cast iron pot, stick in the oven, and (after a few basting sessions and hours later) I have an apartment that smells like chicken heaven and meat that’s falling off the bone because it’s so juicy and tender. Trust me, you WANT this recipe in your life.

After making my chicken on Sunday, I knew it would be perfect for my pasta primavera recipe… And guess what! It was. This recipe took me a total of about 30 minutes from start to finish, because the chicken was already done and all I had to do was cook the pasta and veggies. So simple. So nutritious. So delicious. My kind of dinner!

Do you have any comfort foods? Let me know in the comments- I’d love to chat!

Chicken and Veggies Pasta Primavera

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tomato, diced
2 cups broccoli, chopped
2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
4 mushrooms, chopped
2 cups pasta, cooked
1/4 cup grated parmesan (freshly grated is best!)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water.
In a pan, heat olive oil on medium/high heat, then add onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent. Add the broccoli and some of the pasta water to deglaze the pan, then cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until broccoli is tender (5-10 minutes). Remove the lid and add the diced tomato and mushrooms. Cook another 2 minutes then add the chicken. Cook until heated through.
Add the pasta, parmesan and some of the pasta water to make a sauce for the veggies. Stir until parmesan has melted.
Serve warm!