Last Bite Chicken Pasta (Printable version)

A tasty chicken pasta dish combining fresh vegetables and creamy cheese in a savory sauce.

# What you need:

→ Proteins

01 - 1 large chicken breast, diced (or 1 cup cooked chicken, shredded)

→ Pasta

02 - 10 oz dried pasta (penne, fusilli, or similar)

→ Vegetables

03 - 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1/2 cup frozen peas
05 - 1/2 cup bell pepper, diced
06 - 1/2 cup zucchini, sliced
07 - 1/2 cup spinach, roughly chopped

→ Pantry Staples

08 - 2 tbsp olive oil
09 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
11 - 1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes (or tomato sauce)

→ Dairy

12 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
13 - 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
14 - 1/3 cup heavy cream

→ Garnish

15 - Fresh basil leaves
16 - Cracked black pepper

→ Finish

17 - Zest of 1 lemon

# Steps to follow:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook until golden and cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
03 - In the same skillet, add garlic and bell pepper. Sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add cherry tomatoes, zucchini, and Italian herbs; cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
04 - Stir in canned tomatoes, peas, and spinach. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until vegetables are just tender.
05 - Reduce heat and return cooked chicken to skillet. Add heavy cream, half of the Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, stirring until cheeses melt and sauce turns creamy.
06 - Add drained pasta to skillet. Toss to combine, adding reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
07 - Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve hot, garnished with remaining cheese, fresh basil, cracked black pepper, and lemon zest.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • It feels like cleaning out your kitchen and throwing a dinner party at the same time
  • The creamy sauce pulls everything together so well you forget it was born from leftovers
  • You can swap almost any ingredient and it still works, which means less stress and more freedom
  • It tastes like comfort food but uses up what you already own
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving the pasta water, it's the only thing that will bring the sauce back to life if it thickens too much
  • Add the cheeses off the heat or on low, otherwise they can seize up and turn grainy instead of creamy
  • If your vegetables release a lot of water, let them cook a little longer uncovered so the sauce doesn't get watery
03 -
  • Use a skillet large enough to toss the pasta in, otherwise you'll end up transferring everything to a bigger pot and making extra dishes
  • Taste the sauce before adding the pasta because once it's all mixed together, adjusting seasoning gets tricky
  • The lemon zest at the end is not optional, it cuts through the richness and makes every bite feel balanced
Return