Pea & Mint Chicken Pasta (Printer-friendly)

Tender chicken with pasta, sweet peas, and fresh mint in a zesty lemon butter sauce.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pasta & Chicken

01 - 12 oz penne or fusilli pasta
02 - 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 10 oz), cut into bite-sized strips
03 - 1 tbsp olive oil
04 - 1/2 tsp salt
05 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

06 - 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
07 - 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
08 - Zest of 1 lemon
09 - Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tbsp)

→ Sauce & Herbs

10 - 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
11 - 3 tbsp unsalted butter
12 - 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
13 - 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
14 - 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain and set aside.
02 - While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper, then add to skillet. Sauté for 5-6 minutes until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
03 - In the same skillet, add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add peas and cook for 2 minutes until heated through.
04 - Add lemon zest, juice, and chicken broth to the skillet. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
05 - Return chicken to the skillet. Reduce heat to low, add cooked pasta, and toss everything together.
06 - Stir in butter and Parmesan cheese until melted and a glossy sauce forms. Add reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
07 - Remove from heat and fold in chopped mint and parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
08 - Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan and mint.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The combination of mint and lemon makes everything taste brighter and fresher than you expect pasta to be
  • It comes together in under 40 minutes but tastes like something that simmered all afternoon
02 -
  • The pasta water is liquid gold, so do not dump it down the drain until you are sure you have finished the sauce
  • Fresh mint turns brown quickly, so add it at the very end and right before you serve
03 -
  • Grate your Parmesan from a wedge if you can find it, the flavor is so much more intense than pre grated
  • If the mint flavor seems too strong at first, give the pasta a minute to rest and the flavors will mellow out
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