Creamy Lemon Pepper Chicken Pasta with Garlic Bread
Chad Ochocinco and Rick Ross pull up to Bert's kitchen for Creamy Lemon Pepper Chicken Pasta — a flavor combo Rozay himself put Bert onto — with buttery parmesan garlic bread on the side. Chad orders McDonald's mid-cook, Rick tells the story behind "Hustlin'," and the guys get into Miami comedy clubs, 2 Live Crew, football, business, and cigars.
Lemon Pepper Chicken
Ingredients
- 5 chicken thighs, skinless, cubed
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil, plus one for sautéing
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon lemon pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
Steps
- Add cubed chicken thigh pieces to a large bowl; add oil, garlic powder, lemon pepper, onion powder, paprika, and salt.
- Mix well to coat all chicken pieces in the seasonings; set aside in the fridge.
- Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add the seasoned chicken and sauté, turning pieces regularly, until well browned and the internal temp reaches 160°F (it will continue to rise out of the pan), about 10-13 minutes.
- Remove chicken and set aside on a plate (it's going back into the pasta).
Garlic Bread
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 5 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 tablespoon parsley, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon chives, finely diced
- 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
- Pinch of salt
- 1 small Italian loaf or ciabatta batard, unsliced
Steps
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- In a small bowl, combine softened butter, garlic, parmesan, parsley, chives, and a pinch of salt; stir to combine well.
- Cut the loaf in half lengthwise; smear butter over the interior of the loaf on both sides.
- Wrap the loaf in foil and set aside at room temperature until ready to bake.
- Bake the garlic bread for 12 minutes, then open the foil, turn the oven off, and leave it in the oven for another 5-10 minutes while you finish the pasta.
- Slice into generous hunks and place on a serving plate or cutting board.
Creamy Lemon Pepper Pasta
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ½ yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- 2 cups heavy cream
- Pasta water
- ¼ cup parmesan, grated
- ¼ cup mozzarella, grated
- 10-12 oz mafaldine pasta (3-4 oz per person)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon parsley, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely diced
- Shaved and grated parmesan, for garnish
Steps
- Set a large pot of heavily salted water plus a tablespoon of olive oil to boil over high heat.
- In the same pan used for the chicken, over medium heat, add the butter.
- When melted, add onion; sauté for 5-6 minutes until softened.
- Add garlic and flour; sauté for 2-3 minutes until the flour is cooked.
- Add chicken bouillon and ¼ cup of water.
- Bring to a low simmer, turn heat to low, and add the heavy cream; allow to simmer on very low to thicken.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water.
- As the sauce thickens and the pasta cooks, feed the sauce with ladles of pasta water, a little at a time; allow it to reduce, then feed again with splashes of pasta water until a thick, creamy, glossy sauce is reached.
- Drain the pasta, reserving an extra cup of pasta water, then return pasta to the pot. Drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil and toss so it doesn't stick together.
- Add the cooked chicken to the pasta sauce; stir to combine.
- Add lemon juice, lemon zest, ground black pepper, parsley, basil, parmesan, and mozzarella to the sauce; stir again to combine.
- Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and gently stir with tongs to incorporate the sauce, pasta, and chicken. If the sauce thickens too much or loses its gloss, add splashes of reserved pasta water as you combine.
- Serve pasta into individual bowls, spooning chicken pieces and sauce over the top. Garnish with extra parmesan and serve with a side salad and garlic bread.