Lemon Chicken Pasta

Spring is in the air. It most definitely is, because there are signs of life everywhere.

There are signs here.......

and here.........

and even here.....all just right outside my door.  

Which all made me in the mood for something a little on the lighter side. Something that would waken up my senses. And after some contemplating I decided on lemon. Whatever I made would just have to contain lemon. And chicken, because that's what was on hand. But something filling, because I was hunnnngry. So, pasta. Yes, pasta usually does the trick. And so I bring you lemon chicken and pasta. I also had Brussel sprouts on hand, so you'll need some of those for this dish too.

Lemon Chicken and Pasta

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken

1/2 stick of butter

1/4 c. chicken stock

1/2 c. fresh squeezed lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tblsp chives, chopped

2 tblsp parsley, chopped

2 tblsp thyme, chopped

1 package Brussel sprouts 

lemon infused grapeseed oil

linguine or spaghetti pasta 

parmesan cheese

Prepare Brussel sprouts for roasting. (If I buy unprepared Brussel sprouts I usually pull the first couple outside layers off and sometimes cut off the bottom tough part. Also, if they are large I cut them in half.) Once prepared drizzle them with lemon infused grapeseed oil, salt and pepper and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, layer them on a baking sheet and put them in the oven for 25 mins at 400 oF. 

Meanwhile, brown the chicken in a skillet with a tablespoon of grapeseed oil. (You want the skillet hot, the grapeseed oil does not really smoke like an olive oil would, so be careful that it does not get too hot). Once chicken is browned/cooked, remove and shred it. Deglaze the bottom of the pan with chicken stock and lemon juice. Then add the butter, garlic, chives, parsley and thyme. While the sauce is coming together -basically waiting for the butter to melt prepare pasta in salt water as the pasta package suggests. Once the butter is melted and the sauce is warmed through, add chicken back to pan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the Brussel sprouts once roasted and then the pasta. Mix the chicken and sprouts through the pasta. Salt and pepper if needed. Serve topped with some big chunks of grated parmesan cheese.

A few side notes: I used a whole medium sized package of pasta-I honestly have no idea how much it was and I quite frankly think determining the amount of pasta needed to feed a family is one of the most difficult things to do in the kitchen. I generally use a handful, a generous handful.

I used grapeseed oil from WildTree. Their zesty lemon to be exact. They have a lot of infused oils that are quite good, but a little goes a long way. 

And voila! You get this lemony delicious chicken and pasta dish.