Creamy Chicken Fettuccine

This dinner – well, it is what dreams are made of. Not only was it incredibly delicious but it comes together in 30 minutes or less and uses everyday ingredients. Honestly, I could have eaten the entire dish. Creamy pasta with lemon and garlic and basil…what can I say? I was in heaven. You really can’t go wrong in my house with chicken and pasta and this was no exception! One sidenote: this was definitely NOT an overly saucy dish so if you like more sauce with your pasta, consider making more of the sauce OR cooking less than one pound pasta. I actually loved it the way it was made but I know my husband wouldn’t have minded a little more sauce.

Creamy Chicken Fettuccine
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INGREDIENTS:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon grated zest and 2 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon
1 pound fettuccine
2 cups frozen peas
1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese
1 cup chopped fresh basil

DIRECTIONS:
Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add garlic to empty skillet and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add cream, lemon zest, and lemon juice and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and keep warm.

Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta to boiling water and cook until almost al dente. Add peas to pot and cook until bright green, about 1 minute. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, drain pasta and peas, and return to pot. Add sauce, cheese, basil, and reserved chicken to pot and toss to combine, adding reserved pasta water as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Recipe Source: from Cook’s Country