If you’re looking for a quick and easy dinner that you’ll dream about that same night, look no further! This simple and affordable lemon pasta recipe is the answer. Perfect for students or anyone in a rush to get dinner done. This creamy chicken lemon pasta is a perfect comfort meal that works perfectly year round. It comes together quickly and without a huge mess using fresh ingredients that are sure to have you coming back for seconds.

Ingredients	Amount needed	Unit Cost	Recipe Ingredient Cost
Spaghetti Pasta	16 oz	$1.79/ 16 oz bag	$1.79
Parmigia no-reggiano	3 oz	$3.95/ 5 oz	$2.37
Lemon Juice	2 lemons	$0.79/ each	$1.58
Butter	4 Tablespoons	$3.49/ lb	$0.44
Fresh Basil	10 leaves	$4.99/ plant (About 50 leaves)	$1.00
Chicken Tenders	6 tenders	$3.98/ 6 tenders	$3.98
Total Recipe Cost	———————	———————	$11.16
Cost per Serving (6) Servings	———————	———————	$1.86

Chicken Lemon Pasta

As a college student, it can sometimes be difficult to choose a healthy meal, especially when that usually means spending more time doing something other than studying or partying. This quick and easy chicken lemon pasta makes it possible to get a healthy meal in without wasting your whole evening in the kitchen. In order to get this recipe started, it is important to gather everything you need from the store in advance so you aren’t stressing last minute.

Before turning on the stove, I like to start with mise en place which literally means, “Everything in its place.” Generally it is used as a term meaning to have a plan for everything before you do it. I like to start by gathering all the ingredients that I will need for the recipe.

Once all my ingredients are gathered, it is important to know which step you want to do next. The first step of this recipe is to remove the tendons from the chicken tenders. To do this you must find the tendon, take a fork and put the tendon in between the prongs, grab the tendon with a paper towel, and pull the tendon out through the tongs. See the video to watch how we do this! This may take some trial and error but once you’ve mastered it, it is the most fun part of this recipe.

After removing the tendons, I chop the tenders into cubes so that they are ready to be cooked a little later on. Heat the skillet to medium high.

Once skillet is heated, add olive oil to prevent the chicken from sticking. Add chicken and cook about 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through. Set aside for later.

For your spaghetti noodles, get a large pot of water boiling. It is important to have it boiling before you put you pasta in to ensure it cooks properly. Make sure you throw a couple pinches of salt into the water to get a great flavored pasta. Once water is boiling, add noodles. They may be too long and hard to fully submerge at first but that’s okay! Wait a few seconds and as the pasta softens, you should be able to push the other end into the water to get each noodle fully cooked. Once the water starts boiling again, Cook the pasta for about 7 minutes. To test if it’s done, take a piece and throw it on the wall. If it sticks, your pasta is ready to be taken off the stove. Kind of!!! Although this way of testing the pasta is fun, it is not always accurate. For a foolproof way to know if the pasta is done, take a noodle and cut/ bite into it. If the center looks lighter and uncooked, they still need more time. If the coloring is the same all the way through, they are ready to be strained. Save 1 cup of pasta water for the sauce. This will give it some extra thickness and help the sauce stick to the noodles. Strain your pasta and set it aside.

Before jumping into making the sauce, it is important to prepare the ingredients. Make sure to wash and pry the outside of your lemon, you’ll be using the skin. Grab the lemon with your non-dominant hand, the zester firmly in the other hand, and hold the zester at a downwards angle over a small bowl. Drag the zester downward along the lemon, rotating the lemon to get an even zest. Stop before you reach the white layer. Gently tap the zester against the bowl to get the remaining zest off. Once finished zesting, juice those 2 large lemons and measure out 1/4 cup of the juice. Add in your cheese and olive oil to the lemon juice and mix until combined. With a fork, gradually stir in lemon zest, salt, and pepper.

In the same pan that you used to cook the chicken, throw in your butter. Not only will this save you dishes, it will add flavor to your sauce. Once the butter is completely melted, add spaghetti noodles and toss until noodles are completely coated. Add in the cheese and lemon mixture and mix to get an even coating. Add in 1/2 cup of pasta water to get a creamy consistency. If needed, add another 1/2 cup. The creamier the better.

Once the sauce is done, it’s time to put the chicken back in. Mix chicken in well. Top with fresh basil.

Don’t forget to enjoy your masterpiece and share with some friends to show off your new found master chef abilities.

I chose this recipe because not only is it super easy, it is fast, nutritional, yummy, and most ingredients you will probably already have. You can also add other ingredients as well, so it can be fun to experiment with. This recipe will help with food skills by learning how to zest a lemon and use a micro plane correctly for both the lemon and fresh cheese. It also gives experience in cooking noodles to the correct texture. This recipe is very budget friendly and college kid friendly. Pasta can be found at the SNAC pantry and you could even add some veggies or protein from the pantry as well.

Video

Recipe