Name: Lemon Chicken Pasta
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Europe, Italian
Ingredients: 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each); 1 teaspoon salt, divided; 1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon pepper, divided; 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 8 ounces uncooked capellini or angel hair pasta; 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided; 1/4 cup peeled and thinly sliced garlic cloves (about 12 cloves); 1 cup white wine or chicken broth; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese; 1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, divided; Lemon wedges, optional

Lemon chicken pasta is about to be your new favorite weeknight dinner. Made with a few staple ingredients, it's a flavor bomb without a lot of fuss.

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)

1 teaspoon salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon pepper, divided

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

8 ounces uncooked capellini or angel hair pasta

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/4 cup peeled and thinly sliced garlic cloves (about 12 cloves)

1 cup white wine or chicken broth

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, divided

Lemon wedges, optional

Instructions

1 Dredge the chicken

2 Set up a station to prepare your chicken with a clean cutting board, and a wide, shallow bowl of flour. On the cutting board, use a meat mallet to pound the chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness. Sprinkle the thinned chicken breasts with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Dip them into the flour to coat both sides, then shake off the excess flour. Lay them out on a sheet pan and set aside. Editor's Tip: Get your pasta water boiling before you start preparing your chicken, so that everything is ready at the same time.

3 Cook the pasta and chicken

4 In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Gently place the chicken into the hot oil. Cook for two to three minutes on each side, or until it's no longer pink. You can also use a digital thermometer to test the internal temperature; it should read 165°F. Remove the chicken and keep warm while you finish the pasta. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions for al dente. Editor's Tip: To tell when your olive oil is ready, throw a tiny pinch of flour into the oil. If it sizzles, you're good to go.

5 Make the pan sauce

6 In the same pan that you cooked the chicken, heat the remaining oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir for 30 to 60 seconds or until lightly browned. Deglaze the pan with wine or chicken stock, and then increase the heat to medium-high. Stir to loosen any browned bits from the pan, and cook until the liquid reduces by half. Stir in the lemon juice.

7 Finish the pasta and serve

8 Strain pasta, but reserve at least 1/2 cup of pasta water. Place the pasta in a large bowl. Add the grated cheese, 1/3 cup parsley, half of the garlic mixture and the remaining salt and pepper to the pasta. Toss everything to combine, adding enough reserved pasta water to moisten. Slice the cooked chicken and place it over the pasta for serving. Drizzle the remaining garlic mixture over it, and then sprinkle the remaining parsley. Serve with additional grated Parmesan and lemon wedges. Editor's Tip: Place a heat-safe measuring cup in the empty strainer to remind yourself that you want to reserve some of the pasta water.