Pasta al Limone with Chicken & Broccoli

Prep Time: 15 Mins

Cook Time: 25 Mins

Total Time: 40 Mins

Serves: 2-4

Pasta gets such a bad rep in the healthy food scene. The reason you feel such an energy crash when you have a big bowl of pasta is that it spikes your blood sugar through the roof. The best way to avoid this is to eat carbs with fibre, protein, and fat. Enter my pasta limone with chicken and broccoli, which has many layers of flavour and texture. It is deliciously creamy and flavourful, colourful, and each bite has a crispy bit of toasted breadcrumbs. It almost feels overly indulgent, but balanced out by the broccoli and chicken it is a very satiating and well-balanced meal.      

Ingredients

Chicken

500g chicken breast

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 lemon, zested

½ teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Pasta

150g broccoli

225g spaghetti

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs

3 tablespoons butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon capers (optional)

½ cup parmesan

1 lemon, zested and juiced

Salt

Directions

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1. Massage the olive oil, lemon zest, oregano, and sea salt into the chicken breasts. Transfer to the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.

2. In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil and add a generous amount of salt. Add the broccoli and cook for 2-3 minutes. Immediately drain and run under cold water. Cut the broccoli into small pieces.

3. Bring a large pot of water to boil, salt it generously and add the pasta (cook according to package instructions). Once cooked, before draining, save a cup of pasta water for later use.

4. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken breasts for 4-5 minutes a side, depending on thickness until it reaches an internal temperature of 165F. Set aside.

5. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and cook until a nice golden brown, transfer the contents to a small bowl. Add the butter, garlic cloves, broccoli, and capers (if using) to the skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes until golden. Add the pasta to the pan, then add the parmesan and a splash of pasta water and mix. Keep adding pasta water and mixing until a creamy sauce is created.

6. Serve with a sprinkle of breadcrumbs, parmesan, and the chicken (which you can thinly slice, cut into small pieces, or serve on the side whole).