Description
A delicious and comforting pasta dish featuring tender chicken in a creamy lemon 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
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- For the pasta:
- 8 ounces fettuccine or linguine
- 4 quarts water
- 1 tablespoon salt
- For the sauce:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- For garnish:
- Fresh parsley, chopped
- Additional parmesan cheese
Instructions
1. Prepare the Crust:
- 1. Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- 2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken for 5-6 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Remove and let rest before slicing.
- 3. Cook pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
- 4. In the same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- 5. Whisk in heavy cream, chicken broth, parmesan, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 3-4 minutes until slightly thickened.
- 6. Add cooked pasta and sliced chicken to the sauce, tossing to coat. Add reserved pasta water as needed to reach desired consistency.
- 7. Garnish with fresh parsley and additional parmesan before serving.
Notes
For a lighter version, substitute half-and-half for heavy cream. The lemon flavor intensifies as the dish sits – add extra lemon juice just before serving if needed. Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days.