Lemony Burrata Pasta

Pasta!!! I feel like nothing can go wrong with a good bowl of pasta that’s filled with garlic, lemon, and cheese. The only thing it needs is a nice glass of wine to go with it. Heaven! This recipe is super quick but has a gourmet element to it with the lovely, rich burrata that adds a nice creaminess to the dish. I am not one to shy away from lemon and red pepper flakes, so add as much or as little of those things as you like to this.

Ingredients 

• 1 pound rigatoni pasta

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into about 1 inch cubes 

• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil 

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 

• 1 garlic clove, minced 

• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 

• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest 

• 1/4-1/2 cup fresh lemon juice 

• 8-10 oz burrata cheese

• 1/4 cup fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped 

• salt and pepper to taste 

How to make Lemony Burrata Pasta From Scratch:

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water. 

2. While the pasta is cooking, pour a couple tablespoons of olive oil into a large skillet over medium-high heat. 

3. Toss the chicken with some salt and then add the chicken into the hot skillet allowing it to brown on one side before moving it around in the pan to brown on all sides. 

4. Once the chicken is cooked stir in the butter, garlic, red pepper flakes, and lemon zest. 

5. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute, and then add in 1/4 cup of lemon juice. 

6. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water, and then drain the pasta and add it into the skillet with the chicken. 

7. Toss to combine.

8. Add in the parsley and half of the burrata and gently toss to combine. Add in a small splash of the pasta water to help bring everything together and cook for another minute on the stove.

9. Pour the pasta into a serving dish. This is the point where I like to add in some more lemon juice as well as salt and pepper to taste. 

10. Top with the rest of the burrata. I like adding additional chopped parsley and lemon slices to make it extra pretty and serve! 

Tips for Lemony Burrata Pasta

• Proteins, like chicken, brown up and cook better if they are more room temperature before they are placed in a hot skillet. If you put really cold chicken in a hot skillet it can make the chicken tough. Pull the chicken out about a half hour or so before cooking. 

• I am a crazy lemon-obsessed person. I eat them plain, so does my son, they wanted lemon cake for their birthdays, lemon ice cream is their favorite…we have issues. If you are not as crazy as I am, just add the lemon as you go! Add as much or as little as you like. 

• The burrata that I buy comes in a 16oz container, but I felt that it was too much for the pasta. Add as much or as little burrata as you like.