This is a nice light easy meal to make. This recipe is usually done without the chicken, but my boys tell me that they need their meat so this is my compromise. It takes only about 20 minutes from start to finish. Serves about 6 people. The garlic is a good inflammation fighter. The peas are loaded with vitamin K ,C and B6, folate, thiamin, niacin, and riboflavin. The squash is rich in vitamin K, manganese, vitamin A, potassium, folate and copper. The vitamin K in this recipe is important for fighting osteoporosis and helps to prevent oxidative cell damage. The vitamin C in this dish helps to support your immune system and it tastes great!

I whole boneless skinless chicken breast
1 Zucchini Cut into bite sized pieces
1 Summer Squash Cut into bite sized pieces
1 Carrot Sliced on the bias
1 Medium Onion Chopped
5 Cloves Garlic minced
2 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 pound of your favorite pasta. ( I like Fettuccine but I have used many different varieties of pasta for this dish)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 Cups fresh peas ( or I prefer using snow peas in the pod )
The juice of 1/2 lemon
Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese (optional)
Garnish: I like the taste of fresh basil with this dish, so I usually add a sprinkling of chopped basil on top of each serving.
Cook the pasta in salted water,follow the cooking directions on the package. Reserve 1 ladle of the pasta water. The cooking time will vary based on the pasta variety that you choose. In the meantime, cut the chicken into bite size pieces. Heat 1 tsp of the olive oil add 2 cloves of minced garlic and the red pepper flakes. Add the chicken. Cook until the chicken is cooked thoroughly about 6-7 minutes. Remove chicken from pan. I know that this is not very Italian, but I use a wok to keep everything from spilling over onto the stove. Cut squash and onion and carrot. Add the remaining olive oil, onion and the remaining garlic. Cook over medium heat until the onion and garlic are translucent. Add the carrot, squash and peas. Saute until the colors of the vegetables become bright (about ten minutes) Add the pasta water and lemon. Toss with the pasta. Add salt and pepper to taste.Garnish with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese (optional) Serve and enjoy!
