I love the decadence of Alfredo sauce. I have fond memories of going to Olive Garden with my mom and diving into a bowl of cheesy, saucy pasta. It was not something we typically cooked at home growing up, but I have found it is one of the easiest restaurant quality meals to recreate at home. Never again will you have to resort to the jar of Alfredo sauce that always has a slightly off flavor. It doesn’t do it for me. I don’t think cream sauce is supposed to be pressurized like that.

If you’re looking to make this meal a little more toddler friendly:

• Try serving the chicken, broccoli, and some extra Parmesan for topping on the side. Have small tongs or spoons in each serving bowl for them to top their “cheesy pasta” on their own with whatever toppings they like.

• Have a family broccoli taste test. Make half of the broccoli as boiled broccoli and half roasted. For the boiled broccoli toss half the florets into the pasta water for the last minute or two of cooking, and then scoop cooked broccoli out with a slotted spoon or spider tool before draining your pasta. Serve each family member one piece of boiled broccoli and one piece of roasted broccoli on the side. Ask which they like better. You can also include a piece of raw broccoli for an additional comparison.

• If you serve the broccoli on the side, suggest dipping the broccoli into some of their cheese sauce or stirring it up with the cheesy pasta to change the flavor of the broccoli.

Roasted Broccoli and Chicken Alfredo

Ingredients

12 oz fettuccine

8 Tablespoons (1 stick) butter

1 large head of broccoli

4 Tablespoons olive oil

3/4 teaspoon salt (plus more for pasta water)

Pinch of black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 chicken breasts or 4 tenderloins

2 cups heavy cream

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Once boiling, add a palmful of salt. Cook fettuccine according to package instructions.
2. Cut broccoli into small florets. Place broccoli on an aluminum foil lined sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and garlic.
3. Slice chicken into thick strips (about 1/4 inch). Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pinch of black pepper.
4. Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add chicken in a flat, single layer. Cook about 2 minutes per side, until cooked through to 165*F.
5. Set chicken on a plate to the side. Add rest of butter to skillet. Once melted, add heavy cream and heat until simmering.
6. Add nutmeg and Parmesan to sauce. Stir until cheese has melted. Add cooked pasta to sauce and stir to coat. Add broccoli and chicken to pasta. Toss to combine and serve warm.

Notes

• If you’d like to skip a step and make this more of a week night meal, toss broccoli florets in with the pasta and water the last 2 minutes it cooks. Drain the broccoli with your pasta and combine with sauce and chicken at the end. Skip the roasting step all together. I like roasting the broccoli because it adds another depth of flavor, but I don’t always have time.