Currently cooking out of Simple Weeknight Favorites from America’s Test Kitchen

This dish combined many of the things I love to eat: pasta, chicken and asparagus all wrapped up in a light sauce of lemon, Parmesan and garlic. I figured that I’d really like this dish, and I wasn’t disappointed. It was super easy to make and tasted delicious.

You start off by browning pieces of chicken breast in a bit of butter. Using the same skillet, asparagus is sauteed just until tender, at which point chopped garlic is stirred in and cooked until fragrant. While the asparagus cooks, pasta is boiled until al dente, then drained, reserving about a cup of the pasta water. Everything (chicken, asparagus, pasta) is mixed into the skillet that the chicken and asparagus was cooked in, followed by grated Parmesan cheese and lemon juice. If the dish seems a little dry, you add some of the reserved pasta water to loosen it up.

This had just the right amount of lemon and garlic, without being harsh or sour. We had leftovers the next night, and they were pretty good as well. I did add a splash of cream to the leftovers as they were pretty dry. All in all, this is a great springtime dish. It is quick enough for a weeknight meal, but I wouldn’t be ashamed to serve it to company, either.