Garlic Butter Chicken & Pea Pasta

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

02 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

03 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

04 - 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs

→ Pasta & Vegetables

05 - 12 ounces curly pasta such as fusilli or rotini

06 - 1 cup frozen peas, thawed

07 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Garlic Butter Sauce

08 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

09 - 4 garlic cloves, minced

10 - 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

11 - 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

12 - Zest of 1 lemon

13 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

14 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

15 - Salt and pepper to taste

# How to Make:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add curly pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain in a colander.

02 - While pasta cooks, season chicken pieces evenly with salt, pepper, and dried Italian herbs.

03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add seasoned chicken pieces and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer chicken to a clean plate.

04 - Reduce skillet heat to medium. Add unsalted butter and allow it to melt. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes, sautéing for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant but not browned.

05 - Add thawed peas to the skillet and return cooked chicken. Stir to warm through for approximately 1 minute.

06 - Add cooked pasta, grated Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the skillet. Toss all ingredients together, gradually adding reserved pasta water until the sauce lightly coats the pasta.

07 - Remove skillet from heat and stir in fresh chopped parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.

08 - Transfer to serving plates and garnish with extra Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -

It comes together faster than ordering takeout and tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen.
The garlic butter sauce clings to every twist of pasta and makes even picky eaters ask for seconds.
You probably have most of these ingredients already, so its perfect for those nights when you forgot to plan ahead.
Leftovers reheat beautifully with just a splash of water or broth to bring the sauce back to life.

02 -

Dont skip reserving the pasta water, I learned this the hard way when my sauce broke and turned greasy instead of creamy.
If your garlic starts to brown, it will taste bitter, so keep the heat moderate and stir constantly once it hits the butter.
Adding the Parmesan off the heat prevents it from clumping into rubbery strings.

03 -