Chicken Penne al Limone

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Peel and thinly slice garlic. Trim and quarter zucchini lengthwise; cut crosswise into 1/2" thick pieces. Zest and quarter lemon. Finely chop parsley.
3. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large, preferably nonstick, pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and fragrant, 1 minute. Turn off heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer garlic to a paper-towel-lined plate. Wipe out pan.
4. Once water is boiling, add penne to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water. Drain and set aside.
5. While pasta cooks, heat a drizzle of oil in pan used for garlic over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and cook, stirring, until tender and lightly golden, 5-6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a plate.
6. While zucchini cooks, pat chicken dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Once zucchini is done, heat a drizzle of oil in same pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes. Reduce heat to medium.
8. Stir in cream sauce base, 1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water, and a big squeeze of lemon juice. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 2-3 minutes. If sauce is too thick, stir in another splash or two of pasta water.
9. Add drained penne, toasted garlic, zucchini, half the Parmesan, half the parsley, as much lemon zest as desired, and butter to pan with sauce. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. If needed, add more pasta water a splash at a time until everything is coated in a creamy sauce.
10. Divide pasta between bowls. Top with reamining Parmesan and parsley. Serve with remaining lemon wedges on the side.

4 servings