Spring Recipe: Lemon Herb Chicken Pasta

Food Network � Recipes

This easy, lemony, chicken pasta feels like spring with the addition of green peas, spinach, and snap peas, plus fresh parsley and basil.

Rethink healthy eating with this flavorful and delicious chicken recipe originally shared by Food Network.

Ingredients

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound vegetable penne pasta 
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped 
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 
• 1 1/2 cups trimmed and sliced sugar snap peas 
• One 10-ounce bag frozen peas 
• 3 cups baby spinach 
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus additional leaves for serving 

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously.
2. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Drain the pasta and set aside.
4. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.
5. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large pan over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F, about 5 minutes per side.
6. Remove the chicken and slice it into strips.
7. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan. Add the garlic and shallot and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
8. Add the lemon juice and sugar snap peas and cook, 2 minutes.
9. Add the reserved pasta water and the frozen peas. Cook until the peas are just cooked through, 2 minutes more.
10. Add the cooked pasta, spinach, sliced chicken, chopped basil, chopped parsley and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil.
11. Toss all the ingredients together to coat, season with additional salt and pepper and garnish with parsley leaves. Serve immediately.