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A quick and easy pasta dish featuring mini farfalle with sautéed chicken, zucchini, yellow squash, and a creamy lemon Parmesan sauce, balanced with fresh herbs.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 16 oz (454 g) mini farfalle pasta, or any bite-size pasta
  • 2–3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • Salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, divided
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 zucchini, chopped
  • 1 yellow squash, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 tablespoons butter (57 g)
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (60 g)
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (95 g)
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped (15 g)

Instructions

  1. Fill a large pot with salted water, bring to a boil, cook pasta until al dente, drain and set aside.
  2. Pat chicken dry and season both sides with salt, pepper, lemon zest, half the garlic powder, half the Italian seasoning, and onion powder.
  3. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add chicken and cook 3–5 minutes per side until golden and cooked through; transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
  4. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the same skillet, add chopped zucchini and yellow squash, season with salt, pepper, remaining garlic powder and Italian seasoning, and sauté about 2 minutes until just tender.
  5. Add minced garlic to the skillet and cook about 30 seconds until fragrant.
  6. Add the drained pasta to the skillet with the veggies, stir in the butter and lemon juice, and toss until the butter melts and coats the pasta.
  7. Stir in the grated Parmesan until creamy and combined.
  8. Slice the rested chicken and return it to the skillet, tossing gently to combine.
  9. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
  10. Sprinkle chopped parsley and additional Parmesan before serving.

Notes

Cook pasta just until al dente to maintain texture when combined with the sauce., Use freshly grated Parmesan for best melting and flavor., Zest lemon before juicing to retain aroma oils., Avoid overcooking veggies to keep them tender-crisp and fresh tasting., This dish is versatile with substitutions (other pasta shapes, proteins, veggies) and can be made dairy-free by replacing butter and cheese., Leftovers keep well refrigerated for 3–4 days and reheat nicely with added lemon juice or butter., It can be served cold as a pasta salad with a drizzle of olive oil.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookerygood.com/lemon-chicken-pasta-easy-recipes-ideas/