Description
A vibrant and comforting pasta dish featuring tender chicken in a rich, lemony cream sauce with garlic and parmesan. Perfect for weeknight dinners yet elegant enough for guests.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crust:
- For the chicken:
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- For the sauce:
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- For the pasta:
- 8 oz fettuccine or linguine
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- Extra parmesan for serving
Instructions
1. Prepare the Crust:
- 1. Cook pasta al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
- 2. Season chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken for 5-6 minutes per side until golden and cooked through (165°F internal temp). Remove and let rest, then slice.
- 3. In the same skillet, sauté garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add cream, chicken broth, lemon zest, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 3-4 minutes until slightly thickened.
- 4. Stir in parmesan cheese until melted. Add sliced chicken and cooked pasta, tossing to coat. If needed, add reserved pasta water 1 tbsp at a time to adjust consistency.
- 5. Garnish with parsley and extra parmesan. Serve immediately.
Notes
For a lighter version, substitute half-and-half for heavy cream. Leftovers keep refrigerated for up to 3 days (sauce will thicken when cold – reheat with a splash of milk).