Last Bite Chicken Pasta (Printer-Friendly)

Hearty chicken and pasta with fresh vegetables, herbs, and creamy sauce for a wholesome meal.

# What You Need:

→ Proteins

01 - 1 large chicken breast, diced (or 1 cup cooked shredded chicken)

→ Pasta

02 - 10 oz dried pasta (penne, fusilli, or similar)

→ Vegetables

03 - ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - ½ cup frozen peas
05 - ½ cup bell pepper, diced
06 - ½ cup zucchini, sliced
07 - ½ cup spinach, roughly chopped

→ Pantry Staples

08 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
09 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
11 - ½ cup canned diced tomatoes (or tomato sauce)

→ Dairy

12 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
13 - ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
14 - ⅓ cup heavy cream

→ Garnish

15 - Fresh basil leaves
16 - Cracked black pepper

→ Finish

17 - Zest of 1 lemon

# How to Cook:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup of pasta water.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook until golden and cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
03 - In the same skillet, add minced garlic and diced bell pepper. Sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant.
04 - Stir in cherry tomatoes, sliced zucchini, and dried Italian herbs. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
05 - Add canned diced tomatoes, frozen peas, and chopped spinach. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until vegetables are just tender.
06 - Reduce heat to low, return cooked chicken to the skillet. Pour in heavy cream and half of the Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Stir continuously until cheeses melt and sauce thickens.
07 - Add drained pasta to the skillet. Toss to combine everything evenly, adding reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
08 - Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve immediately, garnished with remaining cheese, fresh basil leaves, cracked black pepper, and lemon zest.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It turns grocery guilt into dinner victory, using up all those half-empty bags and jars before they go bad.
  • The 5-4-3-2-1 method makes decision fatigue disappear, you just count and cook.
  • Every version tastes different depending on what you find, so it never gets boring.
02 -
  • Do not skip reserving the pasta water, it has starch that helps the sauce cling instead of sliding off.
  • Add the garlic after the chicken or it will burn and taste bitter, learned that one the hard way.
  • Keep the heat low when you add the cream or it might split and look grainy instead of smooth.
03 -
  • Use whatever vegetables are about to turn in your crisper drawer, this is not the time to be precious about the list.
  • If you do not have heavy cream, mix half and half with a spoonful of butter and it works almost as well.
  • Grate the lemon zest right over the plates at the table, the oils release and smell incredible in the steam.
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