Cheesy Lemon Chicken Pasta

Pecorino Romano and Parmesan give cheesy flavor to this easy lemon-chicken pasta dish that's sure to please the whole family!

Ingredients

  • 1 (16 ounce) package linguine pasta

  • 1 cup frozen peas

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 (8 ounce) package button mushrooms, sliced

  • ½ cup diced onion

  • 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks

  • kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

  • ½ (8 ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese, cubed and softened

  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice

  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest

  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

  • ¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

  • ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

Directions

  • Step 1

    Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook linguine at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes, adding frozen peas during the last 2 minutes of cooking time. Drain pasta and peas, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.

  • Step 2

    While the pasta is cooking, heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onion; cook until mushrooms are brown, 5 to 7 minutes.

  • Step 3

    Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook in the same skillet over medium-high heat until browned and no longer pink, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms back to the skillet. Add cream cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest; stir until cream cheese is melted. Remove from heat.

  • Step 4

    Fold in Parmesan and Pecorino Romano cheeses, then parsley. Toss with pasta and peas, adding reserved cooking liquid as necessary to make a sauce.