Creamy Garlic Chicken Pasta

Preheat the oven to 375° and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut the cauliflower into bite-size pieces. Place on the prepared baking sheet and toss with 2 Tb olive oil, ½ tsp black pepper, and ½ tsp garlic salt. Bake for 45 minutes, removing from the oven halfway thru the cooking time to toss.

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and rinse cooked pasta with cold water once it is cooked through to prevent the noodles from sticking together. Set the cooked pasta aside.

Mix together the flour, paprika, mustard, 1 tsp black pepper, and 1 tsp garlic salt. Toss the chicken cubes until covered in the mixture.

After tossing the cauliflower halfway through the cook time, put 2 Tb butter and 1 Tb olive oil in a large saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. Shake excess flour from the chicken cubes (a colander is helpful).

Once the pan is hot, add the chicken. Let it brown on the first side for about 5 minutes. Stir and cook for another 5-10 minutes until the chicken is golden brown.

Add the minced garlic and sauce for two minutes, stirring often. Garlic can burn easily, so keep an eye on it.

After two minutes, add the half and half and zest of a lemon. Reserve the lemon to cut into wedges for serving.

Reduce the heat to medium and allow the half and half to come to a low boil. Add the parmesan cheese and stir to combine.

Add the cooked pasta and roasted cauliflower and mix well to coat all the ingredients. If your sauce is too thick, use the reserved pasta water, adding ¼ cup at a time, to get the desired consistency.

Serve with a lemon wedge and garnish with chopped parsley if desired.