Lemon Chicken Pasta Recipe - Butter & Baggage (2024)

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Published: May 8, 2022 by Barbara Curry · This post may contain affiliate links.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links.

Lemon Chicken Pasta is an easy weeknight dish with tender chicken and a lemony cream sauce. You can have this on the table in less than 30 minutes for a quick and easy meal!

My husband loves lemon desserts so I always try to make something lemony for his birthday like lemon chess pie or lemon chiffon pie. However this year I made a lemon chicken pasta entree to go with his lemon dessert.

The lemon flavor in this dish comes from the sauce, not the chicken. I thought it might be too lemony but it wasn’t and adding a squeeze of lemon juice at the end brightens it up.

I prefer more chicken and less pasta but if you need to make this go farther, just add more pasta, the sauce is so good enough you could leave out the chicken and make this vegetarian.

If you’re a pasta lover, but want something not as heavy as an Alfredo sauce or tomato sauce then this is your dish. While it has a cream sauce it does not feel heavy. It’s a great Spring time dinner.

To make life easier, I bake up a bunch of chicken breasts at one time and freeze them to use in dishes like this one. Then on those nights when you want to cook out of your pantry, you can grab some frozen chicken and make ranch chicken or Southwest chicken and rice.

Roasting chicken breasts, takes about 2 minutes of effort. All you need to do is cover with olive oil and salt and pepper and throw them in the oven. I’ve put together some tips and step by step directions for making perfectly tender and juicy chicken breasts.

Why you’ll love Chicken Lemon Pasta

• You can use rotisserie chicken for a quick weeknight dinner.
• The sauce is light but creamy.
• It’s simple to make but surprising with so much flavor.

What is herbs de Provence made of?

Herbs de Provence are a combination of herbs found in the Provence region of France. There are many combinations but most contain thyme, rosemary and oregano along with tarragon, basil, parsley, fennel seeds and sometimes lavender. You can make your own or substitute Italian seasoning in this recipe.

Lemon Chicken Pasta Recipe ingredients

• Chicken breasts – you could also use thighs or if you’re in a rush, use a rotisserie chicken.
• Pasta – use a type that that the sauce can cling to like penne, or spiral shaped.
• Cream – you can substitute half-and-half, but anything less will not give you a thick and creamy sauce.
• Herbs de Provence – You can find this in the spice section at the grocery or make your own.
• Lemons– you’ll use the zest and juice from a lemon and then use a second lemon to squeeze over each serving.
• Pantry staples – chicken broth, cayenne and parsley

Pro Tip: Learn some helpful tips so that you can get the most juice out of a lemon.

Chicken and Lemon Pasta Substitutions

You can substitute rotisserie chicken and just toss it in the seasonings before adding to the pasta. To make it lighter, you can use half-and-half instead of whole cream.

How to make Lemon Chicken Pasta

Step 1:

Boil the pasta, but just until it’s slightly firm.

Step 2:

Cook the cubes of chicken in a skillet with the herbs and remove to a plate. Or if you plan ahead you can roast the chicken, cut it into cubes and toss with the dried herbs.

Step 3:

In the same skillet, make the sauce with chicken broth, lemon juice and cream. It will thicken a little but not won’t be thick.

Step 4:

Add the chicken to the sauce with the pasta and serve with a squeeze of lemon.

If you already have cooked chicken, then just toss it with the herbs before adding to the pasta.

What to serve with Chicken Lemon Pasta

With this lemony chicken pasta, about all you need is a simple salad and a loaf of crusty bread to catch any extra sauce. If you want some veggies, then try roasted asparagus or carrots.

Lemon Pasta with Chicken storage

More delicious pasta dishes

• Baked pasta alla vodka is great when you are feeding a crowd
• We love carbonara with shrimp and corn
• If you are looking for something super simple, then try Taco Spaghetti, made in one pot
• Need some comfort food, make Sunday Sauce

More favorite lemon recipes

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