Easy Lemon Pasta with Chicken

I think that Pat and Gina Neely from the Food Network are such a fun couple to watch because you can tell that they love each other and cooking so much.  While watching one of their episodes, I was attracted to the simple recipe they used to make pasta with a hint of lemon and with chicken.  I followed the recipe exactly, except for only a few changes.  To cook the chicken, I used Perdue's thinly sliced boneless chicken breasts and seasoned them with salt and pepper.  I used 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to pan fry both sides of the chicken at medium heat.  After pan frying them, I placed them on a plate and sliced the chicken there.  I also added one whole tomato (diced) to the pasta for color.  I loved this recipe, and it was so easy to make!

Easy Lemon Pasta with Chicken
The Neely's original recipe may be found HERE, courtesy of Food Network.

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried penne
• 2 chicken cutlets, cut into fingers
• 3 clovers garlic, sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 whole tomato, diced
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.  Drain well and set aside.
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and add chicken.  Cook until golden and completely cooked.  Remove to a plate and slice.  
3. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to a sauce pan with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and saute until fragrant.  
4. Add the cooked pasta and turn heat off.  Mix together.
5. Remove pasta to a large bowl.  Add chicken to the warm pasta and season with salt and pepper.  Add chopped parsley, tomato, and lemon juice.  Toss pasta before serving with grated Parmesan cheese.