So, the other day I was totally uninspired for dinner. As I near my third trimester, I know this is going to be a more and more common occurrence!
Not only was I uninspired and tired, but I had no quick foods on hand. I only had 1 can of tuna left, no quick-to-defrost or cook anything, and not enough eggs for everyone. My shortcuts had been used up and unreplenished. It was 5 o’clock.
I had 2 chicken breasts left, which was enough to make something, but not enough for all 6 of us to have a portion. So, it would have to be pasta, probably. But I was out of Parmesan cheese, which is my secret weapon for chicken + pasta.
I decided just to go with what I had, which was not much, serve it up, and call it a day. Tomorrow I’d do better.
Turns out, though, that it was a pretty good meal that received comment and compliments from all around the table! Who would have thought?
Quick & Easy Chicken Pasta Dinner
- Boil pasta until just tender. Drain.
- Saute sliced onions & minced garlic. Deglaze pan with a bit of water and remove to a bowl.
- Brown chicken and cook until done, salting with a bit of seasoning salt.
- Deglaze pan with a splash of lemon juice, return vegetables to the pan and add drained noodles. Sprinkle in dried herbs of choice (I used a generous shake of dried parsley). Saute gently, tossing, just for a minute to coat pasta.
And that’s it. I did have a zucchini, so I chopped it up fine and added it soon after the garlic. I probably could have added frozen peas or broccoli to the noodles as they boiled, but I didn’t think of it at the time.
It’s a fast, flexible meal for low-inspiration or low-inventory nights!
This menu plan template and master pantry resource will help streamline your kitchen.
