Pea & Mint Chicken Pasta (Printable View)

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

# What You Need:

→ Pasta & Chicken

01 - 12 oz penne or fusilli pasta
02 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 10.5 oz), cut into bite-sized strips
03 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/4 teaspoon 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 (approximately 2 tablespoons)

→ Sauce & Herbs

10 - 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
11 - 3 tablespoons 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)

# How To Make It:

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, lemon juice, and chicken broth to the skillet. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
05 - Return cooked 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 achieve desired sauce consistency.
07 - Remove from heat and fold in chopped mint and parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
08 - Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan cheese and fresh mint.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The bright lemon and mint combo cuts through the rich sauce making it incredibly fresh despite being creamy
  • It comes together in under 40 minutes but tastes like something from a proper Italian restaurant
02 -
  • Reserving pasta water is not optional, it is what transforms the sauce from separate ingredients into a cohesive emulsion
  • Add the mint at the very end, cooking it even briefly makes it lose that bright fresh flavor that makes this dish special
03 -
  • If you want to add heat, a pinch of red pepper flakes should go in with the garlic, not at the end, so the spice infuses the whole sauce
  • The dish tastes even better the next day as the mint flavor mellows and melds with the other ingredients
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