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Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta

Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta

This Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta is simple yet impressive, making it a family favorite and a guaranteed crowd pleaser.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Entree
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6 servings
Calories 612 kcal

Equipment

  • large sauté pan
  • Stockpot or Dutch oven

Ingredients
  

Lemon-Herb Chicken

  • 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts thinly sliced into cutlets
  • 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1.5 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 0.75 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 0.75 teaspoon black pepper

Creamy Lemon Pasta

  • 1 lb pasta of choice preferably long and twirly, such as bucatini, spaghetti, pappardelle, or fettuccine
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1.5 cups finely chopped yellow onion
  • 6 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.75 cup chicken broth
  • 0.75 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
  • 0.33 cup finely chopped fresh parsley (plus more for garnish)
  • 0.33 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (plus more for garnish)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Optional add-ins

  • Fresh baby spinach or arugula
  • sun-dried tomatoes
  • roasted broccoli
  • sautéed mushrooms

Instructions
 

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.
  • Meanwhile, prepare chicken. Place chicken in a bowl and combine with olive oil, lemon zest, and spices. Toss well to thoroughly coat both sides of chicken in seasoning. Heat a large high-sided skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Arrange chicken in pan and cook until nicely golden and internal temperature reaches 165ºF, about 7 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.
  • If your water is boiling at this point, begin cooking pasta until just shy of al dente (the pasta will finish cooking in the sauce). Before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water.
  • Prepare sauce. Add butter to the pan (no need to wipe clean) along with chopped yellow onion. Cook over medium heat until the onion softens, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes, until aromatic. Add heavy cream, broth, salt, and black pepper. Bring mixture to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, until the mixture slightly thickens, about 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in parsley, Parmesan cheese, lemon zest and juice.
  • Add pasta to the pan with sauce, along with ½ cup of the reserved pasta cooking water. Increase the heat to medium-high, and toss vigorously with a pair of tongs. Continue cooking and tossing constantly, until the pasta is glossed in a thick sauce, about 2 minutes.
  • If the sauce becomes too tight, add another splash of the reserved pasta water and toss again. When the sauce is nicely thickened and glossy, turn off heat.
  • Thinly slice chicken and place on top of the pasta. Garnish with extra chopped fresh parsley, grated Parmesan, cracked black pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Notes

If you plan on adding any veggies, add them to the sauce right after stirring in the parsley, Parmesan, and lemon. To Store: Place leftovers in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To Reheat: Gently rewarm pasta in a large skillet on the stove over medium heat, adding a splash of broth as needed to rehydrate the noodles and thin the sauce. Toss the noodles often and brighten them up with a squeeze of fresh lemon.

Nutrition

Serving: 2heaping cupsCalories: 612kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 31gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 12gSodium: 920mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6g
Keyword chicken, Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta, easy recipe, family favorite, Italian, pasta
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