Rotini Pasta w/ Snap Peas & Sweet Cherry Tomatoes

If you're wondering why I keep using snap peas, 1) they're tasty and 2) we have a Costco bag of them that need to be used before they go bad! :)

This particular recipe was the product of leftover veggies we had in the fridge and it came together surprisingly well. The slight crunch of the snap peas, paired with the sweetness of the tomatoes, the spicy bite of the jalapeño and cilantro, and the savory saltiness of the feta cheese made for one tasty dish. The addition of the lemon chicken pushed it over the top. Hope you enjoy it!

Lemon chicken:

6 raw chicken tenders

juice of two lemons

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp black pepper

Combine all ingredients and marinate chicken in fridge for 20-30 minutes. Pan fry until done. {To avoid garlic burning in pan, scrape garlic from chicken before cooking.} Set aside to cool.

Pasta:

Salt

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided

1 bunch scallions, green and white parts, chopped

1/2 pound sugar snap peas, roughly chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

1 clove garlic, minced

3/4 cup sweet cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

1 bunch chives, rough chopped

1 box rotini pasta {I used whole wheat}

3/4 cup feta cheese

1) Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the scallions, snap peas, jalapeno, tomatoes, garlic and 1/4 tsp salt and cook, stirring, until soft, about 4 minutes. {Snap peas should be a bit crunchy}. Transfer to a bowl and toss with the cilantro and chives. Reserve the skillet.

2) Meanwhile, cook the rotini in the boiling water until al dente. Reserve 2/3 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and toss with the vegetables.

3) Pour the reserved cooking water into the skillet and add the remaining 1 Tbsp butter. Bring to a boil, whisking until the butter melts, then cook until reduced slightly {should be golden in color}. Pour the "sauce" over the pasta, add in the feta cheese and toss.

4) Slice the lemon chicken against the grain, and top the pasta with the chicken. Add additional feta if desired.