Thinly sliced chicken breast, roasted broccoli, and penne pasta coated in a delicious lemon garlic cream sauce + topped with parmesan cheese. This cream sauce is on the lighter side with only a quarter cup of cream and two tablespoons of butter— but the flavors from the freshly squeezed lemon juice, minced garlic, diced onion, and herbs create the most flavorful, mouth-watering sauce! The red pepper flakes generate a bit of heat and the parmesan cheese at the end brings everything together. Make this meal if you want to feel a lil fancy + a lil elegant without too much extra effort 😉 Enjoy!

Lemon Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Pasta

Serving Size: 3-4
Total Time: 30-40 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

Roasted Broccoli:

• 3-4 cups broccoli, chopped into small bite-size pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/24-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Everything Else:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 chicken breasts, sliced in half (about 1/2-inch thickness)
• salt + pepper to taste
• 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
• juice from 1 lemon, about 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 5-6 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 small yellow onion, diced small
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil
• 3-4 servings penne pasta (or pasta of choice)
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Slice chicken breasts in half so that they are 1⁄2 inch thickness. Set aside. Whisk together the vegetable broth, lemon juice, garlic, red pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning. Set aside.
2. Broccoli: In a large bowl mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, sea salt, and red pepper flakes. Add the broccoli and stir to coat. Spread broccoli in an even layer on a sheet pan. Roast for 15-20 minutes or until broccoli is fork-tender.
3. Chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and brown on both sides for 2-3 minutes per side, seasoning each side with a pinch of salt and pepper. The chicken will not be cooked completely, but it will finish cooking through in the oven. Remove the chicken to a plate.
4. Sauce: Reduce heat to medium, and in the same skillet, add the onion and vegetable broth mixture. Use a rubber spatula loosen any bits on the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 3-5 minutes.
5. Turn heat down to low, and whisk in butter until melted completely. Next, add heavy cream, whisking constantly until mixture thickens (1-2 minutes). Stir in the basil. Add the chicken back to the skillet and use a spoon to drizzle the sauce on top of the chicken, coating generously.
6. Place the skillet in the oven (the lower rack) and cook for 5-6 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked through.
7. While chicken is finishing cooking, cook pasta according to package instructions.
8. Add chicken, sauce, and broccoli to pasta. Top with parmesan cheese. Enjoy!