Chicken 'n Peppers Spaghetti

I hate to admit this, but sometimes I'm just too lazy to cook. It's on such days that I make quick pasta dishes like this Chicken 'n Peppers Spaghetti...

...and by quick, I mean less than 30 minutes including prep and cooking time. I'm really not comfortable with serving frozen ready-to-eat food to my family (though I must admit, I sometimes do and that makes me feel guilty)...so even though I'm feeling lazy, I still prefer making a simple meal that won't make me feel guilty. This is an example of that. It is very easy to prepare and cook but it's healthy! The chicken and cheese makes this dish a good source of protein, while the peppers (both the bell pepper and Jalapeño) give this dish added vitamins and nutrients like Vitamin A, C and E, potassium and folic acid. Red bell peppers also contain lycopene, which is a carotene that helps to protect against cancer and heart disease. This is really packed with goodness but is so easy which makes it perfect for lazy to cook days!

How about you, do you have any “too lazy to cook recipe” ? 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb spaghetti or any pasta of your choice
• 2 cups chicken breast, cut into strips
• 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and cut into strips
• 1 to 2 Jalapeño peppers, seeds removed and cut into strips
• 2 Tbsp garlic powder
• 5 Tbsp pure olive oil
• ½ tsp ground basil
• ½ tsp ground oregano
• 1 tsp parsley flakes
• 1 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese and 1/8 cup more for topping
• salt and pepper

Procedure:

1. Season chicken with 1 Tbsp garlic powder, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Let sit in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

2. In a large saucepan, cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Reserve about 3 Tbsp of pasta cooking water.

3. In the same saucepan, stir fry chicken in olive oil for about 5 minutes or until cooked. Add the red bell pepper and Jalapeño pepper, and stir fry until the peppers are cook but still crisp. Add remaining garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper to suit your taste. Turn the heat off.

4. Add the pasta, basil, oregano, Parmesan cheese and reserved pasta cooking water. Toss until well combined.

5. Transfer to a serving dish. Top with Parmesan cheese and sprinkle with parsley flakes. 

Note: I love using Jalapeño pepper because of the flavour and "kick" it adds but you can just use green bell pepper in case you don't want the kick. :)

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