Tender chicken, sweet peas, and al dente pasta in a rich, fragrant garlic butter sauce. Perfect weeknight comfort food.
# What You'll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
02 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
03 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
04 - 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
→ Pasta and Vegetables
05 - 12 ounces curly pasta, such as fusilli or rotini
06 - 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
07 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
→ Garlic Butter Sauce
08 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
09 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
10 - 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
11 - 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
12 - Zest of 1 lemon
13 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
14 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
15 - Salt and pepper to taste
# Directions:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add curly pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water before draining.
02 - While pasta cooks, season chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and dried Italian herbs, ensuring even coating on all sides.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add seasoned chicken pieces and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer chicken to a plate.
04 - Reduce heat to medium. Add unsalted butter to the skillet. Once melted, add minced garlic and red pepper flakes. Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant, taking care not to brown the garlic.
05 - Add thawed peas to the skillet and return cooked chicken to the pan. Stir gently for approximately 1 minute until heated through.
06 - Add cooked pasta, grated Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the skillet. Toss all ingredients together, gradually adding reserved pasta water until the sauce lightly coats the pasta.
07 - Remove from heat and stir in fresh chopped parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
08 - Transfer to serving plates immediately. Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley if desired.
