Description
This Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta is a flavorful and comforting dish combining tender shredded chicken with a luscious lemon-infused cream sauce, tossed with perfectly cooked pasta. It’s a quick and easy meal ideal for weeknights, featuring bright citrus notes balanced by rich parmesan cheese, garlic, and butter.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 tablespoon flour
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth or dry white wine)
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
- Zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups cooked rotisserie chicken, shredded
- 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Garnish (optional)
- Fresh parsley
- Extra parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions. Reserve some pasta water before draining.
- Make roux and sauté garlic: About 10 minutes before pasta finishes cooking, melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring frequently, for about one minute to form a roux.
- Add liquids and lemon: Stir in minced garlic, then pour in the chicken broth (or vegetable broth or dry white wine), along with the lemon juice and lemon zest. Allow the mixture to bubble and reduce for about one minute.
- Incorporate cream and chicken: Whisk in the heavy cream and then add the shredded chicken. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens to your preferred consistency.
- Finish sauce with cheese and seasonings: Stir in the grated parmesan cheese and remove the skillet from heat. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste.
- Toss pasta with sauce: Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat evenly. If the sauce is too thick, add a tablespoon or so of reserved pasta water to loosen it up. Serve immediately, garnished with extra parmesan and chopped fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
- Using rotisserie chicken saves time but you can also use leftover or freshly cooked chicken breast.
- Adjust the lemon juice and zest according to your preference for more or less citrus brightness.
- If the sauce thickens too much upon standing, stir in a bit more cream or pasta water to revive its creaminess.
- For a lighter option, substitute half-and-half for heavy cream but sauce will be less rich.
- Gluten-free pasta can be used to make this recipe gluten free.
