Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce

I found this recipe on one of my favorite cooking/recipe blogs, Good Eats 'N Sweet Treats. It looked simple and sounded really delicious. She found the recipe in Cooking Light, which made me feel even better about it. It was quick to make and everyone liked it.

I've included the variations that she made, because I also used them. The one difference is, I doubled the sauce recipe; she had mentioned that there wasn't quite enough sauce so I thought doubling would help. There was quite a bit of sauce, and it wasn't very thick, so maybe just one and a halving it would be best.

8 ounces uncooked long fusilli (twisted spaghetti) (I used bowtie because that's what I had)
1 3/4 cups (1 1/2-inch) slices asparagus (about 1/2 pound) (I used 1/2 pound fresh broccoli, cut into florets)
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed (I omitted these)
1 tablespoon butter
1 garlic clove, minced (I used a dash of garlic powder)
1 cup organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson Certified Organic) (I used chicken broth)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/3 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dash of ground red pepper
Coarsely ground black pepper (optional)
Lemon slices (optional)
2 chicken breasts (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Add asparagus during last minute of cooking time. Place peas in a colander. Drain pasta mixture over peas; set aside.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sauté until browned on both sides. Remove chicken from pan, slice, and cover to keep warm. Add garlic to pan; sauté 1 minute. Combine broth and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir until well blended. Add broth mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in sliced chicken, cream, juice, salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and red pepper. Add pasta mixture to broth mixture; toss gently to coat. Garnish with coarsely ground black pepper and lemon slices, if desired. Serve immediately.