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Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta with Parmesan

Close-up of rich Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta with Parmesan, featuring fettuccine noodles coated in sauce and topped with diced chicken and parsley.
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Make a rich and bright chicken pasta dish featuring a creamy sauce balanced with fresh lemon zest and juice, finished with grated Parmesan cheese.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound pasta (fettuccine or linguine recommended)
  • 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
  • Zest of 1 large lemon
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

  1. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve at least 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water. Drain the pasta and set aside.
  2. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
  3. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the minced garlic to the skillet and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Do not let the garlic burn.
  4. Pour in the white wine or broth to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Let it simmer for 2 minutes until slightly reduced.
  5. Stir in the heavy cream. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low.
  6. Whisk in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and grated Parmesan cheese until the sauce is smooth. If the sauce seems too thick, slowly whisk in some of the reserved pasta water until you reach your desired consistency.
  7. Return the cooked chicken to the skillet. Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss everything together until the pasta is fully coated in the creamy sauce.
  8. Stir in the fresh parsley. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan cheese on top.

Notes

  • Use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor; bottled juice changes the taste profile.
  • Adding the pasta water helps the sauce emulsify and cling better to the noodles.
  • If you do not use wine, increase the chicken broth to 3/4 cup.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://kitchnkudos.com/creamy-lemon-chicken-pasta-with-parmesan/