Name: Creamy Pasta with Lemon-Pepper Chicken
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds); Salt and pepper; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tablespoon grated zest and 3 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon; 1 pound spaghetti; 1 cup ricotta cheese (see note); 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese; 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Why This Recipe Works

While most lemon-pepper chicken recipes call for coating the chicken in a bottled lemon-pepper rub, the fresh lemon juice and zest we used here tasted brighter than any packaged lemon-pepper seasoning ever would. When selecting lemons, we found that round ones were slightly juicier than elliptical ones, and bigger lemons yielded more juice than smaller ones. Tasters preferred whole whole-milk ricotta cheese, but part-skim worked almost as well.

Before You Begin

Either whole-milk or part-skim ricotta cheese will work here.

Instructions

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook chicken until well browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to cutting board and tent with foil. Let rest 5 minutes, then slice crosswise.

Heat remaining oil in now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Cook garlic and 3/4 teaspoon pepper until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add lemon juice and simmer until reduced to 1 tablespoon, about 1 minute. Off heat, add chicken and any accumulated juices.

Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente. Combine ricotta, Parmesan, lemon zest, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in medium bowl. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water. Drain pasta and return to pot. Stir in ricotta mixture, chicken, parsley, and 1/2 cup reserved pasta water, adding more pasta water as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.