Light and easy Pasta Primavera with sweet crunchy bell peppers, tomatoes, and lean chicken breast served over penne pasta and topped with Parmesan cheese.
It’s Monday! How was your weekend? Did you watch the Golden Globes last night? Did any of your favorites win? I’m an awards show junkie, so I made naan pizza for the occasion (OMG, so good, recipe coming soon) and happily settled in for three hours of beautiful people giving each other awards. I was super excited to see my fav, Olivia Colman get recognized, and oh man, those Viola Davis and Meryl Streep speeches were so great.
Also, Kristen Bell has maybe inspired me to cut my hair into a lob again. Tell me not to do it, people. Talk me down from this ledge!
I realized as I started writing this post that today, in the dead of winter, I’m posting a pasta with a name that basically translates into “spring pasta.” I could say that was intentional and that I’m dreaming of spring, but to be perfectly honest, I love winter (at least my mild SoCal version of it). I’m in no hurry to see spring take its place. I just really love eating this pasta all year round and wanted to share it with you now. 🙂
Up there with other favorites like my Ham and Potato Soup (that recipe just got new photos, have you seen them?), BLT Salad , and Peasant Soup , it’s one the recipes I make most often in my own kitchen, because it’s just a dinner you feel good about eating and making.
This easy Pasta Primavera is all about lots of veggies (okay, tomatoes are a fruit), some lean chicken breast, and a little bit of cheese coming together to make a damn good pasta. I love that it’s easy to make. I love that it’s a bit spicy and just a tiny bit sweet. And I love that it’s a nice and light pasta for those times when I desperately need some carbs in my life.
More Easy Pasta Dishes
- Fettuccine Alfredo for One
- Chicken Francaise
- Creamy Sausage Pasta
- Buttered Noodles
Ingredients
- ▢ 4 ounces penne pasta
- ▢ 1 tablespoon butter
- ▢ 1 small (about 8 ounces) boneless chicken breast cubed
- ▢ Salt
- ▢ 1 large bell pepper (any color) diced small
- ▢ 1 clove garlic minced
- ▢ 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes with green green chilies
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- ▢ 1/4 cup ( 1 oz) shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Put a medium pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta and cook pasta according to package instructions.
- While your pasta is cooking, in a large skillet, over medium to medium-high heat, melt butter. Add chicken breast, sprinkle with salt, and cook until cooked through. Transfer cooked chicken to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
- Return pan to heat and add bell pepper and garlic. Cook over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes, until vegetables just begin to soften.
- Add tomatoes and spices, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture becomes thick and saucy, about 6 to 10 minutes (different brands of tomatoes will vary). Stir in cooked chicken and simmer for 1 minute more or until chicken is hot.
- Stir in cooked pasta, dish up, and top with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Adapted from AllRecipes
This Panda Express-Inspired String Bean Chicken is light, simple, and delicious. If you’re looking for a healthy dinner for two, look no further!
Happy 2017! How was your New Years Eve?
Did you watch the Sherlock season 4 premiere yesterday? Oh man. Rough. (And you know I love this show–I made Sherlock cookies last year!)
We’re back for another year of recipes, and as is tradition, recipes on the blog this month will be on the lighter side. You might remember last January’s salad series where I posted some of my favorite healthy salads like my BLT Salad and Asian Chicken Salad (if you haven’t tried those salads, you totally should–they are THE BEST).
This year I don’t I have any January salads for you, but I do have lots of my favorite healthy dinners and lighter desserts scheduled that I can’t wait to share.
Things may as well be delicious while we all recover from the smorgasbord that was December.
First up is my favorite Panda Express Copycat recipe around, String Bean Chicken. I know. I know. You hear fast food-inspired and do not think light and healthy, but this String Bean Chicken is made with lean and light boneless skinless chicken breast and packed full of green beans and bell peppers.
It’s a cinch to throw together and SO good. My sister introduced me to this recipe a few years ago, and aside from my Teriyaki Chicken , it’s the Asian-inspired recipe that I make the most often. Mostly because it’s delicious, but also because everything can be cut and prepped ahead of time, so it’s a perfect weeknight meal.
Chop and mix everything over the weekend, and then day of, just pour the marinade over the chicken in the morning, and that evening, everything cooks up in about 15 minutes.
That means that not only is this Panda Express-style String Bean Chicken that tastes better than takeout, but it’s FASTER too.
As written, this String Bean Chicken recipe generously serves 2. To change the recipe yield, hover over the number of servings (or click if you are on mobile) and slide the slider–no preparation changes are necessary for doubling.
Ingredients
Marinade
- ▢ 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ▢ 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ▢ 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- ▢ 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Chicken and Vegetables
- ▢ 1 small boneless skinless chicken breast (about 8 ounces) cut into strips
- ▢ 1 tablespoon oil use your favorite cooking oil
- ▢ 1/2 cup chopped onion cut into 1/2-inch squares
- ▢ 1/2 cup water divided
- ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
- ▢ 6 ounces green beans trimmed and halved
- ▢ 1/2 red bell pepper diced into 1/2-inch squares
- ▢ Salt to taste
Serve Over
- ▢ White steamed rice
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, and toasted sesame oil. Place cubed chicken in a disposable plastic bag and pour mixture over the top. Toss to coat. Allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes, up to 12 hours.
- In a medium wok or saute pan (with a lid), heat oil over medium high heat. Once hot, add chicken and cook until cooked through. Transfer chicken to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
- Return pan to heat. Deglaze with a couple tablespoons of the water and add onion and garlic. Cook for three minutes, until onion just begins to turn translucent around the edges.
- Add green beans and bell pepper and cook for another three minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the water, cover, and continue to cook until vegetables reach your desired level of doneness, adding more water as necessary, about 3 to 8 minutes*.
- Stir in chicken and cook just until chicken is hot. Salt to taste.
- Serve over white rice.
Notes
This recipe for small-batch Angel Food Cupcakes will make six dreamy marshmallowy cupcakes perfect for a light dessert.
Easy Pasta Primavera for Two
Ingredients
- 4 ounces penne pasta
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small (about 8 ounces) boneless chicken breast cubed
- Salt
- 1 large bell pepper (any color) diced small
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes with green green chilies
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup ( 1 oz) shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Put a medium pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta and cook pasta according to package instructions.
- While your pasta is cooking, in a large skillet, over medium to medium-high heat, melt butter. Add chicken breast, sprinkle with salt, and cook until cooked through. Transfer cooked chicken to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
- Return pan to heat and add bell pepper and garlic. Cook over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes, until vegetables just begin to soften.
- Add tomatoes and spices, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture becomes thick and saucy, about 6 to 10 minutes (different brands of tomatoes will vary). Stir in cooked chicken and simmer for 1 minute more or until chicken is hot.
- Stir in cooked pasta, dish up, and top with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
