Description
A bright and comforting pasta dish featuring tender chicken in a velvety lemon cream sauce with garlic and parmesan. Perfect for weeknight dinners yet elegant enough for guests.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crust:
- For the chicken:
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- For the sauce:
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- For serving:
- 12 oz fettuccine pasta
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- Extra parmesan for garnish
Instructions
1. Prepare the Crust:
- 1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
- 2. Season chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.
- 3. Cook chicken 5-6 minutes per side until golden and 165°F internal temp. Remove and let rest.
- 4. In same skillet, sauté garlic 30 seconds until fragrant. Add cream, broth, lemon zest/juice, and seasonings.
- 5. Simmer 3-4 minutes until slightly thickened. Whisk in parmesan until smooth.
- 6. Slice chicken. Toss drained pasta with sauce, adding reserved pasta water as needed.
- 7. Top with chicken, parsley, and extra parmesan. Serve immediately.
Notes
For extra richness, substitute 1/4 cup cream with cream cheese. Sauce thickens upon standing – reheat with splash of milk if needed. Leftovers keep 3 days refrigerated.