Vegetable-Packed Chicken Pasta Primavera: Your Weeknight Glow-Up
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 oz penne or rotini (whole wheat if you’re feeling virtuous)
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
- Salt + pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
- 1 zucchini, halved and sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1 cup snap peas or green beans
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (freshly grated if possible)
- 1/3 cup reserved pasta water (start with this, add more if needed)
- More parm (obviously)
- Chopped fresh parsley or basil
- A squeeze of lemon juice
Instructions
- Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil.
- Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining.
- While pasta cooks, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper. Sauté until golden brown and cooked through (about 6–8 minutes). Set aside.
- In the same skillet, add a little more olive oil if needed.
- Toss in all your veggies except tomatoes: bell pepper, zucchini, broccoli, snap peas.
- Sauté for 5–6 minutes until just tender.
- Add garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and cherry tomatoes. Sauté 2 more minutes.
- Lower heat to medium-low. Push veggies to the side.
- Add butter and olive oil to the pan. Let it melt.
- Add cooked pasta, chicken, parmesan, lemon juice, and a splash of reserved pasta water.
- Toss everything together until silky and well combined. Add more pasta water if it looks dry.
- Taste and adjust seasoning — more lemon? More cheese? Live your best life.
- Plate it up and top with extra parm, fresh herbs, and a final squeeze of lemon.
Find it online: https://www.receipster.com/chicken-pasta-primavera/