Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta

4.95 from 17 votes

This restaurant-worthy Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta is easy enough for weeknights, yet impressive enough for company. It's a family favorite recipe and guaranteed crowd pleaser.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Author: Jamie Vespa MS, RD

Equipment

Large sauté pan
Stockpot or Dutch oven

Ingredients

Lemon-Herb Chicken

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced into cutlets
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. lemon zest
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 tsp. black pepper

Creamy Lemon Pasta

1 lb. pasta of choice (I prefer something long and twirly, such as bucatini, spaghetti, pappardelle, or fettuccine)
1 Tbsp. butter
1 1/2 cups finely chopped yellow onion
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup chicken broth
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley (plus more for garnish)
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (plus more for garnish
1 Tbsp. lemon zest plus 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Optional add-ins

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

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 1/2 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.

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