One Pot, No Colander - Why This Works
Above-the-fold answer: Dry penne cooks directly in 3 cups broth + 1 cup milk - no draining. Pasta starch stays in the pan, parmesan stirred off heat melts into that starch for cream without cream or scalding. 25 minutes, one deep skillet. I scalded milk on high the first try - grainy, thin sauce and burnt bottom. Now medium, gentle bubble, lid on low 12 min.
I tested 4 cups milk only (no broth) - too rich, stuck to pan and left a skin. I tested broth only - not creamy enough. 3:1 broth to milk is the keeper.
Measured Amounts That Matter
- Liquid: 3 cups broth + 1 cup milk for 12 oz penne. Exactly absorbed in 12 min covered low. I tried 4 cups broth + 1 cup milk - soup, not pasta. I tried 2.5 cups total - dry, penne still hard. 4 cups total is the target for 12 oz.
- Parmesan: 1 cup grated, off heat, handful at a time. On heat it oiled out and went grainy. Off heat, pulled pan off burner, stir until glossy. If thick, splash broth 1 tbsp at a time. I tried 1.5 cups - not creamier, just oily.
- Chicken: 1 lb breast diced 3/4 inch, browned 4 min before penne. Don't crowd - single layer, 4 min, light browning, don't cook through. It finishes with the pasta. I tried adding raw chicken with dry penne - grey, no fond.
Photo of 3:1 liquid measured in quart cups, parmesan pile 1 cup, chicken 3/4 inch dice on board.
Steps - Specific to This Pan
- Garlic + chicken 4 min: 3 tbsp butter melted medium in deep 12-inch skillet, 4 cloves garlic 30 sec until fragrant (not brown), 1 lb chicken in, salt/pepper + Italian seasoning. Don't crowd - brown lightly, fond on pan is flavor.
- Penne + liquid 12 min: Add 12 oz dry penne + 3 cups broth + 1 cup milk, stir, bring to gentle bubble (small bubbles, not rolling boil), cover low, stir once at 6 min to prevent sticking. If lid traps too much steam, crack 1/2 inch. At 12 min, penne should be al dente - bite, not mush. Photo of gentle bubble vs hard boil.
- Parmesan off heat: Pull skillet completely off burner, stir in 1 cup parmesan handful at a time until silky. Splash broth if too thick. Don't return to heat - heat splits the cheese.
- Rest 5 min: Cover loosely, sauce clings to penne as starch settles. Serve. Photo of rest vs immediate - rested coats, immediate runs.
Original photos: my deep skillet progression, gentle vs hard boil, scalded grainy vs creamy parmesan, rested sauce.
What Failed - One Photo, One Fix
Milk scalded on high - I cranked heat to speed it up, milk boiled hard, proteins split, sauce grainy and penne stuck to bottom. Fix: medium heat, broth + milk added together cold, bring to gentle bubble, then low. Never hard boil milk. Photo side-by-side: scalded grainy vs creamy off-heat parmesan.
Second fail: I dumped parmesan on heat and stirred - oil pooled on top. Off heat fixed it. If it still grains, whisk 1 tbsp starchy pasta liquid (it's all in the pan) back in.
Cost - Receipt, Not Estimate
Aldi Lewis Center Aug 7: penne 12 oz $1.29 + chicken breast 1 lb $5.49 + butter $0.45 + garlic $0.30* + broth 32 oz $1.19 (3 cups used) + milk $0.60 (1 cup of gallon) + parmesan 8 oz bag $4.00 ($2.00 for 1 cup grated) = $11.02 for 4 (~$2.76 each) vs takeout $42+ before tip. Walmart same day $11.80 (parmesan $2.49 there). Photo of receipt + notebook below. Parmesan is the swing - buy Aldi block and grate.
Storage - What I Actually Do for This Dish
- Fridge: 2-cup glass, 40FF, 4 days. Sauce thickens cold - splash 2 tbsp broth/milk when reheating.
- Freezer: Freeze base without parmesan flat in quart bag 3 months at 0FF. Add parmesan fresh after thaw/reheat - freezing with cheese made it grainy in my 2-month test (same batch split, with vs without). Label
penne base 8/07 add parmesan. - Reheat: Microwave 2 min stir halfway to 165FF center, or stovetop medium with splash liquid. Don't boil hard.
Tested Aug 7-11, 2026 in my home kitchen, Aldi Lewis Center + Walmart Polaris priced that week. Photos original - my skillet, my scald vs creamy, my rest test, receipt. Prices vary by store/week. See disclaimer.
