Pea & Mint Chicken Pasta (Printable)

Spring-inspired pasta with tender chicken, sweet peas, fresh mint, and bright lemon flavors. Easy weeknight dinner for four.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta & Chicken

01 - 12 oz penne or fusilli pasta
02 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 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 (about 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

# 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 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 consistency.
07 - Remove from heat and fold in chopped mint and parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan and fresh mint.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The combination of fresh mint and lemon makes every bite feel like spring on a plate, even when youre using frozen peas
  • It comes together in under 35 minutes but tastes like something from a nice Italian restaurant
  • The sauce creates itself in the pan, using just butter, Parmesan, and pasta water no heavy cream needed
02 -
  • The key to a silky sauce is adding the butter off the heat. If you keep the pan on the flame, the butter can separate and your sauce will look oily instead of glossy.
  • Mint intensifies as it sits, so if youre planning to have leftovers, hold back on adding the mint to the portion youre saving and add it fresh when you reheat.
03 -
  • Use a microplane or fine zester for the lemon zest. Larger pieces of zest can be unpleasant to bite into, and finely grated zest releases more aromatic oils.
  • If your sauce seems too thick, add pasta water a tablespoon at a time. The starch in the water helps emulsify everything into a cohesive sauce rather than just thinning it out.
Go Back