Aaaah, Sunday afternoons. Perfect for reading, napping, brunching with friends and family, and, of course, creating new recipes!

On this particular Sunday summery afternoon, I had chicken breast and broccoli on hand, as well as a package of gnocchi I picked up the day before while grocery shopping at my favorite supermarket, Aldi’s. Side note: if you’ve never been to Aldi’s, you need to find the closest one and make a trip over there! They have rock-bottom prices for excellent quality.

This package of gnocchi, a product of Italy, cost less than $2.00.

Package of gnocchi from Aldi’s

 A chicken and broccoli dish was going to be the obvious winner for today, but I decided to veer away from the usual Asian style chicken and broccoli duet. With the sun shining oh so bright, and a nice breeze wafting through the kitchen window, I was in the mood for a garlicky, herby dish.

I settled on making chicken and broccoli dish with gnocchi, to feature the combined flavors of the perfect trio: garlic, lemon, and herb.

Perfect combo: garlic, lemon, herbs, & veggies

This was my first time making this dish, and it certainly won’t be my last! I had it all cooked and ready to eat in 30 minutes. Plus, I was able to use ingredients I already had on hand. What more could I ask for? It was the perfect summer, Sunday afternoon meal.

Note: This dish can easily be made with semolina pasta instead of gnocchi (such as ziti).

Easy ingredients

Ingredients (Makes 1 large, Sunday afternoon portion)

• About 1/2 of a boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
• 1/3 package of gnocchi
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1/4 of a green bell pepper sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of onion powder
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons of dried parsley
• 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese (dried or fresh; I made this version with dried cheese), plus more upon serving

Directions

Cooked gnocchi

1. Combine all spices (salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and dried parsley) in a small bowl.
2. In a wok or skillet, stir fry the cubed chicken breast with olive oil, crushed garlic, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and 1/2 of the spice mixture. Cover to allow the chicken to cook fully.
3. As the chicken is cooking, prepare the gnocchi according to the package instructions (cook until is is just al dente) and drain. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the pasta water for using later.
4. When the chicken is fully cooked, add in the broccoli florets, sliced bell pepper, remaining half of spice mixture, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, Parmesan cheese, and the 3 tablespoons of reserved pasta water.
5. Cover, and allow the vegetables to cook for about 5 – 7 minutes
6. Add in the gnocchi and mix through. Cook, uncovered, for 2 minutes longer, until most of the liquid has dried
7. Top with additional Parmesan cheese upon serving. Enjoy!

Delicious, simple, and healthy