Garlic chicken with pasta (Printable version)
Tender chicken sautéed with garlic and olive oil, combined with perfectly cooked pasta for a quick meal.
# Ingredient List:
→ Chicken
01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
02 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
03 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
→ Pasta
04 - 12 ounces penne or spaghetti
05 - Salt for pasta water
→ Sauce
06 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
07 - 6 cloves garlic, finely minced
08 - 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
09 - 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
11 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
12 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
# How to Make It:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain and set aside.
02 - Season chicken pieces evenly with salt and black pepper.
03 - Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and cooked through. Remove from skillet and set aside.
04 - Reduce heat to medium and add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet. Sauté minced garlic and red pepper flakes until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes, without browning.
05 - Pour in chicken broth and bring to a gentle simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the pan.
06 - Return chicken to the skillet. Add cooked pasta, Parmesan cheese, and parsley. Toss thoroughly, adding reserved pasta water gradually until the sauce is silky. Adjust seasoning to taste. Stir in lemon juice if desired and serve immediately garnished with extra Parmesan and parsley.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- It comes together in the time it takes pasta water to boil, making weeknight dinners feel less like a chore.
- The sauce is silky without cream, just garlic, oil, and a little pasta water doing all the heavy lifting.
- One pan means one skillet to clean, and somehow it tastes like you spent an hour on it.
02 -
- Don't brown the garlic or it turns bitter; medium heat and constant vigilance are your friends here.
- That pasta water is liquid gold for making a silky sauce—add it slowly and you'll understand why cream isn't necessary.
03 -
- Grate your Parmesan fresh and keep the heat high enough that everything's still hot when you plate it, or the cheese won't melt right into that silky coating.
- Cook the pasta one minute under al dente if you like it softer, since it keeps cooking when you toss it in the hot pan.