Lemon and Rosemary Chicken Pasta

The temperature has been climbing steadily out here in the desert! It's only April and in the 90s! This is a great meal for a hot day. Although it requires a little use of the stovetop, at least you don't have to turn on the oven.

Ingredients

1 lb spaghetti noodles
1 lb chicken breasts

Chicken Marinade
2 tsp thyme
2 tsp rosemary (really good if you use fresh!)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Garlic Sauce
1/2 stick butter
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2-3 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon basil
1/2 tsp. pepper

1. Cut up the chicken into 1 inch pieces. Add all the marinade ingredients with the chicken, seal in gallon ziplock bag and marinate a minimum of 20 minutes. (You can also marinate overnight for a more intense flavor)

 

2. Boil noodles with a dash of salt and olive oil. Cook until al dente. (Which means not mushy)

 

3. Melt butter in saucepan, saute garlic until soft. Add in flour slowly and mix well. Cook for a minute then slowly add in chicken broth stirring continuously.

 

 



4. Simmer until thickened then add in basil and pepper. If it looks too runny add a tiny bit of flour a pinch at a time until desired thickness.

 

5. Mix sauce with cooked noodles and set aside. Saute marinated chicken until no longer pink. (I like mine a bit brown)

6. Add chicken in with the sauce and noodles, toss until evenly distributed. Top with cherry tomatoes and a few shakes of grated parmesan cheese. Yum!

Roasted Red Pepper and Basil Penne Pasta

I was feeling a little adventurous with my cooking this week. I decided to whip up a gourmet italian pasta dish along with some leftover chicken from my Simple Crockpot Chicken. It turned out super delish and of course very healthy.

 

 

Ingredients

 

3 small cloves of garlic

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 cup roasted red bell pepper (I used jarred)

3/4 cup fresh basil leaves

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/3 cup olive oil

1 lb penne pasta

2 cups shredded chicken (optional)

 

1. Pulse garlic in food processer a few times. Add in red pepper, cheese, basil, salt and pepper. Pulse  few more times. Add in olive oil and pulse until well incorporated.

 

 



2. Boil water and a few tablespoons of olive oil. Add in pasta, cook and drain. Let cool a few minutes then add in basil pesto mix. Stir well. Add in chicken if desired. Serve warm!