This Chicken Broccoli Penne Salad will make you long for summer more than ice cream ever could! So tasty and healthy and comes together in about 25 minutes
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.
Meanwhile, heat the cooking fat in a large saute pan with fitting lid set over medium heat. While the pan is heating, sprinkle the chicken breasts generously with salt and pepper. Once the pan is hot, add the chicken breasts, nice side down, cover and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip the pieces of chicken and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked all the way through and the juices run clear, about 12 to 15 minutes; transfer to a plate.
Return the pan to the heat source and add the broccoli as well as 1/4 cup of water to deglaze the pan; cook for about one minute or until the broccoli is slightly softened. Kill the heat and add the red bell peppers. Cover and let the vegetables rest for about a minute while you slice the chicken breasts (and chop the herbs and garlic, if you haven't already done that...)
As soon as the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it to the pan, followed with sliced chicken, garlic, fresh herbs, lemon juice and chili infused oil. Toss until well combined, then delicately stir in the feta cheese and serve, garnished with a handful of micro-greens and slices of lemon, if desired.
Notes
*if you didn't have the chili infused olive oil on hand, you could also use regular extra-virgin olive oil and add about 1/4 tsp of red chili pepper flakes