Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
A simple creamy lemon chicken pasta tossed with Parmesan and fresh parsley for a bright, comforting weeknight meal.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
Ingredients
- ?12 ounces 340 gdried pastaany shape
- ?2 tablespoons 30 mlolive oil
- ?1 pound 450 gchicken breasts
- ?1/2 teaspoonsalt
- ?1/4 teaspoonground black pepper
- ?1 tablespoonbutter
- ?3 clovesgarlicminced
- ?1/2 cup 120 mlheavy cream
- ?1 tablespoon 15 mllemon juice
- ?1/4 cup 21 gparmesangrated
- ?2 tablespoonschopped fresh parsleychopped for garnish
- ?1 teaspoonlemon zestoptional for garnish
Instructions
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the 12 ounces (340 g) dried pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Before draining, reserve 1/2 cup of the hot pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and set it aside.
- Pat the 1 pound (450 g) chicken breasts dry. Season both sides with the 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper.
- Heat 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden and cooked through, about 4–5 minutes per side depending on thickness. (Internal temperature should reach 165°F / 74°C.) Transfer the chicken to a plate and let it rest for a few minutes, then slice or cube it.
- Reduce the heat to medium. In the same skillet, add the 1 tablespoon butter and let it melt. Add the 3 cloves minced garlic and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute until fragrant (do not let it brown).
- Pour in the 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream and the 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and whisk or stir until combined.
- Set aside 1 tablespoon of the 1/4 cup (21 g) grated Parmesan for garnish (optional). Add the remaining Parmesan to the sauce and stir until melted and the sauce is smooth.
- If the sauce seems too thick, add the reserved pasta cooking water a tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
- Add the cooked pasta and the sliced/chopped chicken to the skillet. Toss or stir gently to coat everything in the sauce and heat through, about 1 minute. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
- Serve immediately, garnished with the reserved Parmesan (if set aside), 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, and 1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional).
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Zester
- Skillet
- Instant-read thermometer
- Kitchen tongs
Notes
The pasta that I used in this recipe is a gluten free pasta made from Maize flour. Use any pasta that you like (Gluten free or not).
Cook your pasta to al dente.
Reserve the pasta water to use for loosening the pasta sauce if needed.
Add chili flakes to the sauce if you like a little bit of heat.
Do not overcook the chicken as there’s nothing worse than dry chicken! If you have an instant read thermometer then you can check the doneness by inserting the thermometer in the center of a chicken piece and it should register around 160-165°F (74°C).
When adding the lemon juice, start with just a small amount, taste the sauce and decide if you would like to add more. I usually started with 1 tablespoon, but remember once your add the pasta, the flavor will be diluted a little so if you feel like it’s too intense before adding the pasta, that is fine.
Store the leftovers in a sealed containerin the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven, you will need to add a splash of water to thin out the sauce as it thickens in the fridge, this will also prevent the pasta from drying out.
Cook your pasta to al dente.
Reserve the pasta water to use for loosening the pasta sauce if needed.
Add chili flakes to the sauce if you like a little bit of heat.
Do not overcook the chicken as there’s nothing worse than dry chicken! If you have an instant read thermometer then you can check the doneness by inserting the thermometer in the center of a chicken piece and it should register around 160-165°F (74°C).
When adding the lemon juice, start with just a small amount, taste the sauce and decide if you would like to add more. I usually started with 1 tablespoon, but remember once your add the pasta, the flavor will be diluted a little so if you feel like it’s too intense before adding the pasta, that is fine.
Store the leftovers in a sealed containerin the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven, you will need to add a splash of water to thin out the sauce as it thickens in the fridge, this will also prevent the pasta from drying out.