This healthy pasta dish is just 20 minutes from stove to plate! If you're looking for a fast, veggie-forward pasta dish that doesn't involve red sauce, then look no further. Snap peas and fresh basil flavor an easy white sauce in this tasty weeknight dinner treat!
Ingredients
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lb. gemelli or other short pasta
- 8 oz. snap peas, trimmed
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1-1/4 c. whole milk
- 2 c. shredded rotisserie chicken (about 8 ounces)
- 1-1/2 oz. Parmesan,grated (about 1/3 cup)
- 2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions, adding peas during the last 2 minutes of cooking time. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain.
- Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in pasta and peas, chicken, Parmesan, and basil. Stir in reserved pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed to make a sauce. Garnish with basil. Serve immediately.
Tip: When you prep snap peas, you'll want to remove the tough "string" that lines the outside edge. You can find stringless varieties and some stores sell them already trimmed, but it's an easy task. Just snap the very tip off one end of the pea and start pulling. You should see the string unzip from the inner side of the pea. A paring knife can also help.
