Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
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Our creamy lemon chicken pasta has the bright flavor of lemon mixed with Parmesan cheese, tender chicken and loaded with fresh seasonal veggies. It’s the perfect light pasta meal and you can change out the vegetables to whatever is in season.
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Why You Will Love This Lemon Chicken Pasta With Creamy Sauce
- fast and easy to prepare
- simple ingredients
- tastes like a restaurant quality dish but made at home
- perfect dish to make for busy weeknights
- reheats wonderfully
- can be a complete meal for the entire family or great for a dinner party or potluck
Ingredients You Will Need For This Easy Chicken Pasta Recipe
(Exact measurements of ingredients are in recipe card below.)
Ingredients For The Creamy Lemon Sauce
- cornstarch – helps to thicken the sauce a bit
- cold water
- chicken broth – I prefer to use the low-sodium chicken broth, then salt to taste.
- fresh lemon juice
- honey
- red pepper flakes
Ingredients For The Chicken and Vegetables
- boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces. You can use the whole breast, chicken cutlets or chicken tenders.
- salt and black pepper – to taste
- olive oil
- broccoli – buy the florets or cut the florets from the stalk.
- zucchini – cut into small chunks
- yellow squash – cut into small chunks
- ginger powder
- garlic powder
Ingredients For the Pasta
- thin spaghetti
- Parmesan cheese
Additions and Substitutions
- Add about 1/4 cup of white wine to deglaze the bottom of the pan and get all the browned bits.
- Change out your fresh vegetables – Try asparagus, chopped tomatoes, bell peppers, water chestnuts or sweet peas.
- Add some simple herbs like fresh basil or fresh parsley.
- For an even creamier sauce, add 1/2 cup of cream to the sauce ingredients.
How to Make Lemon Chicken Pasta
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cold water and cornstarch.
- Add the chicken broth, honey, lemon juice and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
- Add one tablespoon of the olive oil to a large skillet and heat oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken pieces in a single layer to the hot oil and season chicken with the salt and pepper.
- Stir and let chicken cook 4-5 minutes until lightly browned and cooked through. Scrape the pan with a large spoon or spatula to get any brown bits which are full of flavor. Remove chicken and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium, add in the remaining oil and add the broccoli, zucchini, yellow squash and snow peas. Cook, stirring occasionally until lighted crisp and tender.Add in the garlic powder and ginger, stir and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the cooked chicken pieces back into the pan and stir to combine with the veggies. Place a cover on the skillet to keep warm while preparing the pasta.
- Whisk the sauce again to be sure it is thoroughly mixed, then pour over the flavorful chicken and vegetables in the skillet. Stir and heat through.
- Heat a large pot of water over medium-high heat to boiling.
- Drop in your pasta noodles, stir and cook, according to package directions until the pasta is al-dente.
- Drain the cooked pasta but do not rinse off the pasta water. The starch formed by the pasta and water help the cheese and sauce to cling to the pasta.
How to Serve Lemon Chicken Pasta
Put your pasta onto a serving plate and top with a generous amount of the sauce-coated chicken/vegetebale mixture. Squeeze some extra lemon over the chicken and pasta (can never have too much lemon). Top with more Parmesan cheese and /or red pepper flakes if you like.
What to Serve With Lemon Pasta Chicken
This recipe can stand alone as a complete meal since it has the pasta, chicken and vegetables but if you wnat something extra, add a Simple Tossed Green Salad, Easy Homemade French Bread Loaf ,Best Homemade Rosemary Focaccia Bread . And, there’s always room for dessert. I suggest Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake in the Instant Pot or Magic Lemon Cobbler Recipe with Buttermilk.
What is meant by “al dente” pasta?
Pasta cooked al dente means that the pasta will still be somewhat firm to the bite, not soft and mushy. Remember too, pasta will still continue to soften some after it is removed from the heat.
Why is it sometimes recommended to not rinse the pasta after draining?
When pasta is cooked in the boiling water, it creates a starch in the water. The starch helps the sauce to stick to the pasta noodles.
Recipe for Lemon Chicken Pasta
Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
Creamy lemon chicken pasta has the bright flavor of lemon moxed with Parmesan cheese, tender chicken and loaded with fresh seasonal veggies.
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Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 424kcal
Equipment
- large stock pot
- strainer
Ingredients
Lemon Sauce
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 4 tablespoons cold water
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ½ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
Chicken and Vegetables
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite size pieces)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (divided into 1 tablespoon and 2 tablespoons)
- 2 cups broccoli (cut into bite size pieces)
- 2 cups zucchini (large dice)
- 2 cups yellow squash (large dice)
- 2 cups sugar snow peas
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
Pasta
- 1 pound thin spaghetti
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese (plus extra for topping)
- lemon wedges (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together corn starch and cold water
- Add chicken broth, lemon juice, honey and red pepper flakes.
- Whisk until well-blended. Set aside.
- Place one tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat.
- Add chicken pieces in a single layer, season with the salt and pepper and cook until lightly browned and cooked through. Remove the chicken and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium, add the remaining oil and add in the broccoli, zucchini, yellow squash and snow peas. Cook until lightly browned and slightly crisp, stirring occasionally.
- Add in the ginger and garlic, stir and continue sauteing for about a minute.
- Add the cooked chicken back into the skillet and stir.
- Whisk the lemon sauce one more time to make sure it is blended well. Pour over the chicken mixture and stir. Cook until all is heated through, about a minute.
- Bring water to boil in a large pot, add pasta and cook until al-dente. Remove pasta from stove and drain. Do not rinse, as the starch coating the pasta will allow the sauce and cheese to cling better.
- Toss the drained pasta with the parmesan cheese. Place a serving of the pasta on a plate and top with a generous amount of the chicken vegetable mixture.
- Squeeze a lemon wedge over the serving and add extra cheese and red pepper flakes if desired.
Notes
Do not rinse the pasta after draining. The starch in the water helps the sauce to cling to the pasta.
Add about 1/2 cup of cream to the sauce for an even creamier sauce.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 424kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 777mg | Potassium: 1064mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 1236IU | Vitamin C: 104mg | Calcium: 184mg | Iron: 3mg
If you try this recipe for Lemon Chicken Pasta, please come back and let us know how you like it.
