I decided to take a break from music tonight and get reacquainted with my kitchen. A shameful 23 days has past since my last meal post and tonight was the perfect night to bring you guys a new recipe.

Things have been so crazy the last month and I was completely drawing a blank on what to cook. Thankfully, Food Network was reading my mind and served up one of the best recipes I’ve made in a long time. I added my own little flair to the pasta and it turned out to be the quickest and tastiest pasta I’ve ever made.

Skillet Roasted Chicken with Lemon & Herb Pasta

Recipe adapted from Food Network’s Skillet Rosemary Chicken

Ingredients

Chicken

• 3/4 pound small red-skinned potatoes, halved, or quartered if large
• Kosher salt
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus 1 tablespoon leaves
• 1 clove garlic, smashed
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• Juice of 2 lemons (squeezed halves reserved)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each)
• 10 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved

Pasta

• 8oz Penne Pasta
• 1 tbsp rosemary leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 1/2 lemon, juiced (make sure it’s a juicy one)
• 1/4 tsp red pepper
• 1/4 kosher salt
• 1/4 black pepper
• 1/4 cup shredded parmigiana reggiano
• drizzle of olive oil

Preheat the oven to 450. Cover the potatoes with cold water in a saucepan and salt the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until tender, about 8 minutes; drain and set aside.

Pile the rosemary leaves, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt and the red pepper flakes on a cutting board, then mince and mash into a paste using a large knife. Transfer the paste to a bowl. Stir in the juice of 1 lemon and the olive oil. Add the chicken and turn to coat.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, cover and cook until the skin browns, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken; add the mushrooms and potatoes to the skillet and drizzle with the juice of the remaining lemon.

Add the rosemary sprigs and the squeezed lemon halves to the skillet; transfer to the oven and roast, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.

While the chicken is roasting cook the pasta until al dente. Lightly drain and return to the pot. Mince the rosemary and parsley together and stir into the pasta with the remaining 6 ingredients.

Serve each chicken breast with a drizzle of sauce, veggies and the pasta.

Bon Appetit!