We love pasta in this house, in all forms. I try to have some sort of Italian dish in the rotation most weeks, and happy as Mr. Meat and Potatoes would be with saucy, cheesy, sausage-y noodles several nights a week, I like to mix it up a bit.

I’m not a big fan of alfredo (I know, take away my woman card), but what I do love is a simple olive oil “sauce” (if you can even call it that) with a bit of parmesan cheese. This way, you can really taste the pasta, and the other herbs in the dish really sing.

This is a good weeknight meal. It’s not too fussy, but it’s nice enough for company, which makes it one of my favorite dishes to whip up when a friend is stopping by after work. It’s also one of those things you might have the ingredients just lying around if you are a careful pantry stocker like I am.

http://www.lawrence.com/users/photos/2013/dec/17/266151/

Lemon Chicken Linguine
4 boneless chicken breasts
olive oil
1 sleeve linguine (I always use Dreamfields)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lemons
1 egg
1 cup Parmesan cheese, divided (I buy the block and grate my own)
2 teaspoons basil (fresh or dried)
handful fresh flat-leaf parsley
salt and pepper

Begin by slicing up the chicken breasts and cooking the pieces in a skillet with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. Squeeze half a lemon over them when they’re almost brown on both sides. I had to do this in two batches (so it took a whole lemon). Also, I had some lemon-infused olive oil that just added a little something to the party, so if you can keep some of that around, I recommend it. It’s great for making salad dressings and other sauces as well.

Meanwhile, start your water boiling and cook your pasta to al dente. When you cook store-bought dried pasta, always, always, add salt to the water. And then add some more.

When the pasta is finished, drain it and return it to the pan. Add 3/4 cup parmesan, the juice of another lemon, and about 1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil (the lemon-infused stuff, again, is a great addition here). As the pasta begins to cool, add the egg and stir vigorously, as well as the minced garlic. Then toss in the basil and parsley, along with salt and pepper to taste. Toss the chicken into the pot with everything else, and garnish each plate with extra parmesan and herbs.

Perfecto!