Weeknight meals vs Weekend meals - Garlic Chicken Pasta

In my kitchen there are two types of meals, weeknight & weekend.  A weekend meal is something that takes more than 1 hour, has multiple courses and usually involves one or more fancy kitchen tools or ingredients. A weeknight meal on the other hand comes together in 30-45 minutes and generally consists of items I have on-hand in the kitchen.

This is a tasty weeknight meal - Garlic Chicken Pasta. I make a few variations on this same meal which at it's core is simply a seasoned and sautéed protein plus pasta and an easy to wilt/cook vegetable.  I generally look at what I have on hand in the kitchen and decide from there.

Two not so "usual" ingredients used on this particular weeknight were my secret kitchen weapon, Gourmet Garden garlic blend and the very versatile, Lemon-Herb seasoning from Williams Sonoma.  Although I do keep these in MY kitchen all the time, they may not be something everyone purchases on a regular basis, but I do recommend them both!

Two of my favorite things about this recipe is that is uses only 2 pots to cook and comes together quickly.  One of the steps that helps add big flavor in short time is to start by making a garlic olive oil in the microwave, which will be used to cook the chicken and at the end of the cooking process to bring all the ingredients together.

BEFORE

There are many substitutions you could make are baby spinach instead of arugula, shrimp instead of chicken, basil added in or tomatoes to make it more of a caprese garlic chicken. Play around with what you have in your kitchen - there is no wrong way to make this recipe.

AFTER

To add this to your weeknight meal menu:
GARLIC CHICKEN PASTA
Ingredients:

• 3 teaspoons, Gourmet Garden garlic blend (you can also substitute 4 garlic cloves, minced)
• 6 tablespoons extra-vigin olive oil
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon-herb seasoning
• 1 pound penne pasta
• 5-oz bag baby arugula 
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot.
2. Meanwhile, combine garlic and oil in a small bowl and microwave until garlic is golden and fragrant, about 1 minute - set aside.
3. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt, pepper & lemon herb seasoning. 
4. Add 1 tablespoon of salt & pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente
5. Add 2 tablespoons of the garlic oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat.
6. Add chicken and cook until well browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. 
7. Take chicken skillet off the heat.
8. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking water and add pasta to the large skillet.
9. Turn heat back on to low and add arugula, lemon juice, Parmesan, and remaining garlic oil. 
10. As the ingredients come together, add reserved pasta water as needed.
11. Season with salt and pepper to taste & serve.