30-Minute Angel Hair Pasta with Chicken
Use fresh or frozen vegetables to make this delicate, slurp-able angel hair pasta dinner with chicken. Angel hair pasta truly shines in this recipe, tangling around cubed chicken breast and vegetables for easy, satisfying bites.This is a quick, customizable, chicken and pasta recipe perfect for beginner home cooks, busy college students, and it makes great leftovers, too.
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1" cubes)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
- 10 oz angel hair pasta
- 1 broccoli crown (cut into small florets)
- 1 large carrot (thinly sliced)
- ½ cup frozen peas
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
- 2 teaspoon dried basil
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Bring a pot of generously salted water to boil. While the water boils, prep the vegetables and measure out your ingredients.
- Season the cubed chicken breast with salt and pepper and toss it with your fingers to coat.
- Preheat a large high-sided skillet until hot, then reduce heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon oil. When the oil is shiny and ripples easily in the pan, add the chicken pieces in a single layer. They might stick slightly, that's okay. They'll release when they're ready to turn.
- Cook, stirring and turning chicken pieces until just cooked through, about 6-7 minutes. When chicken is done cooking, transfer from the skillet to a paper towel on a plate and set aside.
- Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the same pan over medium low. Add carrots and cook until slightly softened, about 2-3 minutes. Then add the rest of the vegetables, dried basil, and garlic. Stir to combine.
- Drop angel hair pasta into the boiling water, and set a timer according to al dente package directions (usually about 4 minutes).
- While pasta is cooking, add chicken broth to vegetables. Stir to scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan, then reduce to a simmer and add the parmesan cheese. Stir until melted, then add the chicken back to the skillet.
- When pasta is done, use a pasta fork or kitchen tongs to transfer it directly from the boiling water to the skillet. Use tongs to twist and twirl the pasta to evenly distribute the veggies and so that the sauce coats the noodles. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Serve topped with additional parmesan cheese.
RECIPE NOTES
- Instead of fresh veggies, 1½ cups of frozen mixed veggies will work.
- For picky eaters: Instead of adding the pasta to the skillet with the veggies, add ¼ cup pasta water to the veggies while they simmer, drain the noodles when they’re done, and serve the chicken and veggies overtop the plain noodles.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Reheat in microwave.
- 1 tablespoon oil for the pan is approximate — a larger pan may need more oil, a smaller pan may need less! You need enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan.