Creamy Lemon Pepper Chicken and Pasta
Friday, January 21, 2011
The ricotta cheese in this dish added a nice creamy texture and I loved the wonderful lemony flavor. My hubby devoured it and my kids (even the picky ones) ate it up and were asking for seconds. I got the recipe for this deliciously creamy pasta dish from Michelle at Michelle's Recipe Box. This one's definitely going into our rotation!
The ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1-1/2 pounds)
salt and pepper
2 Tbs. olive oil, divided
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs. grated lemon zest
3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice (I used 1-1/2 lemons to get enough juice and zest)
1 lb. spaghetti noodles
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
Pat chicken dry paper towel and season with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook chicken until well browned and almost cooked through, about 4-5 minutes on each side. Transfer to cutting board and cover with foil. Let rest 5 minutes, then slice crosswise into chunks.
Heat remaining oil in now empty skillet over medium heat until simmering. Cook garlic and 3/4 teaspoon pepper until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add lemon juice and simmer, about 1 minute. Add chicken and any accumulated juices and cook an additional 3 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
Meanwhile add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta in a colander over a bowl and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Return the drained pasta to the pot.
In a separate small bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, lemon zest, and 1/4 tsp. salt.
Add to the drained noodles. Stir together. Add chicken mixture, parsley, and 1/2 cup reserved pasta water, adding more pasta water as needed for moisture. ( I only used 1/2 cup total).
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serves 8. Serve immediately with fresh, hot bread (like French Peasant Bread or the best Whole Wheat Bread). Enjoy!
Click here for printable recipe.
The ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1-1/2 pounds)
salt and pepper
2 Tbs. olive oil, divided
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs. grated lemon zest
3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice (I used 1-1/2 lemons to get enough juice and zest)
1 lb. spaghetti noodles
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
Pat chicken dry paper towel and season with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook chicken until well browned and almost cooked through, about 4-5 minutes on each side. Transfer to cutting board and cover with foil. Let rest 5 minutes, then slice crosswise into chunks.
Heat remaining oil in now empty skillet over medium heat until simmering. Cook garlic and 3/4 teaspoon pepper until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Meanwhile add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta in a colander over a bowl and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Return the drained pasta to the pot.
In a separate small bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, lemon zest, and 1/4 tsp. salt.
Add to the drained noodles. Stir together. Add chicken mixture, parsley, and 1/2 cup reserved pasta water, adding more pasta water as needed for moisture. ( I only used 1/2 cup total).
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7 comments:
This looks so wonderful, Lara! I very rarely think to use ricotta as a creamy base for pasta, etc. I will think of it more often after reading this post.
This sounds so good!
Lara,
This really looks delicious. I love the creaminess that the ricotta provides in this dish. I need to try it.
oh yum, i love that thick, lemony flavor!
I like that, and its always nice to see another kid friendly recipe to add to the mix!
Made it tonight! Delicious! Next time I'll probably add even more garlic (it smelled so good cooking with the lemon!). Also, we added some lemon pepper at the end...perfect.
Thank you for the recipe!
This was a great meal. Added some fresh broccoli in the final minutes of browning the chicken and it was fantastic. This is the kind of dish you can really add your own favorite seasonings to your liking. My wife and I are keeping this one in the book! Thanks
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