lemon chicken pappardelle

last spring, my mom and i flew to virginia to visit  my sister for the weekend and go wedding dress shopping with her. while we were there, i had my first of very few visits to trader joe's. to some of you i'm sure that's surprising, but our closest trader joe's is hundreds of miles away. 

but i'm not complaining, since we have wegmans - also known as the reason why alec baldwin's mom won't move away from syracuse - and the pittsford wegmans - unofficially known as the flagship store - is a couple miles from my house.

anyway, i picked up a couple things in trader joe's: salted caramel sauce i've heard so much about, a box of cookies, and lemon pepper pappardelle. which, similar to my pearl couscous, sat in my pantry for months before i finally gave in and made it. which is a shame, since this pasta is delicious - light and acidic from the lemon and perfectly spicy from the black pepper. with a light lemon garlic wine sauce, chicken for added protein, and a healthy dose of cheese, this was a simple weeknight dinner.

lemon chicken pappardelle
20 minutes, serves 2

8 ounces lemon pepper or plain pappardelle
1 chicken breast, sliced into thin strips
1/2 cup white wine
4 garlic cloves, minced
juice and zest of one lemon
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon butter
fresh parmesan for serving

1. cook the pappardelle according to the package directions. drain and keep warm.
2. coat the bottom of a medium skillet with olive oil and place over medium low heat. season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pan. cook until the chicken is cooked through. remove the chicken from the pan.
3. place the pan back over medium heat. add the white wine to deglaze the pan. once most of the wine has evaporated, add the garlic, lemon juice and zest, and the chicken stock. bring to a simmer.
4. in a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with two tablespoons of water. whisk the cornstarch mixture into the sauce. add the chicken and simmer until thickened. mix in the butter and toss with the pasta.