Description
A luscious and tangy pasta dish featuring tender chicken breasts in a velvety lemon cream sauce with garlic and parmesan. Perfect for weeknight dinners or entertaining 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 sauce:
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- For the pasta:
- 8 oz fettuccine or linguine
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
1. Prepare the Crust:
- 1. Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- 2. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken for 5-6 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Remove and let rest.
- 3. Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
- 4. In same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- 5. Pour in chicken broth and lemon juice, scraping up browned bits. Simmer for 2 minutes.
- 6. Reduce heat to low. Stir in heavy cream, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 3-4 minutes until slightly thickened.
- 7. Whisk in parmesan cheese until melted and smooth. If sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time.
- 8. Slice chicken into thin strips. Add cooked pasta and chicken to sauce, tossing to coat evenly.
- 9. Garnish with fresh parsley and extra parmesan before serving.
Notes
For extra lemon flavor, add an additional teaspoon of zest. Substitute half-and-half for heavy cream if preferred, though sauce will be thinner. Leftovers keep refrigerated for 3 days – reheat gently with a splash of milk.