I'm not a huge fan of most veggies, although my taste buds have matured as I've aged. I love snap peas, which is part of why I love this dish (from Food Network). Adding regular peas (good fiber) and spinach round this off as an excellent meal with the nutrients I need. I'm sure there are items you could add to the pasta to make this vegan. Nuts and mushrooms would add some needed protein.

Ingredients

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound vegetable penne pasta 

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts 

5 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 

1 large shallot, finely chopped 

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 

1 1/2 cups trimmed and sliced sugar snap peas 

One 10-ounce bag of frozen peas 

3 cups baby spinach 

3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 

3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus additional leaves for serving 

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Drain the pasta and set it aside.

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large pan over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and slice it into strips.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan. Add the garlic and shallot and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the lemon juice and sugar snap peas and cook, 2 minutes. Add the reserved pasta water and the frozen peas. Cook until the peas are just cooked through, 2 minutes more.

Add the cooked pasta, spinach, sliced chicken, chopped basil, chopped parsley, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss all the ingredients together to coat, season with additional salt and pepper, and garnish with parsley leaves. Serve immediately.