Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta Bake
This one pan zucchini pasta bake is the perfect easy weeknight meal! Chicken, orzo and zucchini simmered in a creamy lemon sauce and topped with melted cheese
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 zucchini or summer squash thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 4 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 8 chicken thighs boneless and skinless
- ½ tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- red chili flakes to taste
- 1 medium lemon just the juice
- 1 cup dry orzo pasta
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups chopped kale
- 1 cup marble cheese shredded
- parmesan cheese for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a large pan, add one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add your zucchini, season with salt and pepper and saute with the lid on for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Once zucchini is cooked, add it to a plate.
- In the same pan add the rest of the olive oil ( 2 tbsp), your garlic and onions. Cook until fragrant (about 3 minutes). Arrange your chicken thighs the pan in a single layer (you will need to move your onions around). Sear each side of the chicken for about 3 minutes.
- Add your orzo, spices, lemon juice, zucchini and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, add your lid and simmer on low-medium for about 15-20 minutes.
- If your pan is oven safe, mix in the kale, and half of the cheese. Top with the remaining half of the cheese (sprinkle with parmesan cheese if using).If your pan is not oven safe- pour your orzo, chicken, zucchini mixture into a casserole dish before adding your cheese and kale.Bake for 10 minutes and then turn the oven to broil and broil for 5 minutes to get the cheese nice and brown.
- Top with additional red chili flakes and enjoy!
Notes
*I have included an estimation of the nutrition information for this recipe below. However, always remember a recipe is so much more than just nutritional content and these numbers do not need to dictate your food choices. Please don't forget that both your body and soul need nourishment! The owner of this website is not liable for this estimation.
Nutrition
Calories: 604kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 169mg | Sodium: 276mg | Potassium: 578mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2599IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 259mg | Iron: 3mg
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