Summer Pea Pasta

It’s been several months since we’ve had a Cooking Light recipe of the month post! This is completely out of character; I am usually a total Cooking Light junkie (umm and here).  But now seems to be the perfect time to reintroduce the tradition since the Wedding Fairy has mandated that we morph briefly into American Heritage Cooking Light pre-wedding.

This Summer Pea Pasta is a nice light and lively pasta! I served it with an easy lemon pepper chicken to round out the meal. It was quick to pull together and delightfully flavorful: the perfect mid-week meal.

The base for the pasta sauce has 3 tablespoons of butter and I felt like I was cheating on my agreement with the Wedding Fairy, but I decided that if the recipe came from Cooking Light, she must approve. Right?

Summer Pea Pasta with Lemon Pepper Chicken

Cooking Light Magazine September 2013

8 ounces uncooked pasta [I used Trottole because it’s cool looking. I’m shallow like that]

3 tablespoons butter

5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 cups frozen green peas, thawed

½ teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

¾ teaspoon kosher salt [I only used ½ teaspoon]

6 tablespoons torn fresh mint leaves

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

½ cup pasta cooking liquid

2 chicken breasts

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon sea salt

Juice of 1 medium lemon

To Prepare the Pea Pasta:

Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain pasta over colander reserving ½ cup cooking liquid. Run cold water over pasta to stop cooking.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic to pan; sauté 1 minute. Add peas and sugar; cook 2 minutes stirring frequently. Sir in cooked pasta, reserved ½ cup cooking liquid, and lemon juice. Cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with salt, mint, and lemon zest. Toss to combine and serve immediately.

 To Prepare the Chicken:

Preheat oven to 400°. While bringing water to a boil for the noodles, trim, rinse and pat chicken dry with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides with pepper and salt. Heat pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan. Brown chicken on both sides and then pour lemon juice over breasts. Bake in preheated oven 5-10 minutes until a minimum internal temperature has reached 165°. Time will vary by thickness of breast. Let rest while you prepare and serve summer pea pasta.