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    Home » Recipes » Dinner Recipes

    Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta

    By: Jessica · Posted: Aug 24, 2022 · Updated: Jan 16, 2023 · This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    Jump to Recipe
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Lemon Chicken Pasta with text on image
    lemon pasta in skillet with text on image

    Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta: Perfectly al dente pasta is drenched in a rich creamy lemon sauce and topped with flavorful chicken for a simple but hearty pasta dish!

    It should not come as a surprise that we are big pasta people around here. From comforting Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta to this TikTok famous Baked Feta Pasta Recipe, if there is pasta, we are in! (You’ve got to check out what kind of pasta I use instead of noodles in the BEST Chicken Noodle Soup.)

    Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta in white bowl
    Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta

    Whether it is a busy weeknight or a special occasion, this lemon chicken pasta will wow your entire family when they dig into the bright lemon flavor, tender, seasoned chicken and noodles coated in a silky Parmesan cream sauce. Rotate this recipe on the menu along with this cream cheese pasta, and you’ll have a couple of pasta recipes that everyone will love!

    Why you’ll love this recipe

    • Simple ingredients – a few staples from your pantry and fridge and fresh produce are all you need to whip up a big pan of creamy pasta (similar to our cream cheese pasta!)
    • Big lemon flavor – the lemon pasta sauce gets citrus flavor from both fresh lemon juice and lemon zest
    • Easily vegetarian – we topped our creamy lemon pasta with chicken, but you can use mushrooms, tofu or roasted veggies
    Jump to:
    • Why you’ll love this recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Substitutions and variations
    • Storage
    • FAQs
    • Related Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Ingredients

    Get the full recipe card with instructions below!

    • 3 tablespoons of olive oil, divided
    • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
    • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 small onion, finely chopped
    • 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
    • Zest of 1 lemon
    • Juice of 1 lemon
    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
    • 12 – 13 oz. of spaghetti (about 3/4 of a standard 16 oz. box)
    • 3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    All of the fresh ingredients for Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta are artfully arranged on a white marble counter top
    Ingredients

    Instructions

    1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of water as directed on the packaging.
    2. In a small bowl, add flour and garlic powder and stir together.
    3. Place each chicken breast in the flour mixture and press on all sides to cover it.
    Cooked spaghetti noodles for Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta are sitting in a colander surrounded by lemons, garlic, parsley and Parmesan cheese
    Cook pasta
    Photo of a flour coated chicken breast ready to saute for Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
    Coat & season chicken
    1. In a large deep skillet over medium high heat, add 2 tablespoon of olive oil. Heat oil and add the chicken breasts. Cook for 5 minutes on each side or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
    2. In the same skillet (leave all of those flavorful brown bits!), add the rest of the olive oil (1 tbsp), add the onion and garlic and cook until softened.
    Browned chicken breasts are displayed in a skillet surrounded by lemons, parsley, Parmesan cheese and garlic
    Brown chicken breasts
    A pan is centered with onions and garlic sauteeing in olive oil for Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
    Cook onion and garlic
    1. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and lemon juice; stir until all the ingredients are well combined.
    A pan with sauteed onion and garlic is in the background while a measuring cup of heavy cream is waiting to be poured in the pan for Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
    Add heavy cream
    A pan is centered with cooked onions, garlic, heavy cream and shredded Parmesan cheese - this is the beginning of the sauce for Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
    Add Parmesan, lemon zest and juice
    1. Add the cooked pasta, and stir until the pasta is covered with the creamy sauce. Remove from heat.
    2. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
    3. Serve and top with sliced chicken breast. Garnish with fresh parsley.
    Cooked spaghetti noodles for Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta have been stirred into the creamy sauce and then topped with parsley
    Stir in pasta
    Close up of cooked spaghetti noodles coated with creamy lemon Parmesan sauce and topped with a sliced chicken breast and fresh parsley
    Top with chicken

    Substitutions and variations

    One of our favorite things about this creamy lemon chicken pasta recipe (and most pasta dishes) is how flexible it is! Here are a few ways that you can adjust this recipe to fit your family or what you might have on hand.

    • Chicken – We used chicken breasts for this recipe, but you can use dark meat like chicken thighs if you prefer. If you are in a time crunch, you can also use shredded rotisserie chicken.
    • Pasta – While we used spaghetti noodles, any long pasta (fettucini, linguini or angel hair pasta) will work. Gluten-free pasta is also an option.
    • Add ins – Feel free to stir in sweet peas or cooked broccoli florets for some added veggies. Add a tablespoon or two of cream cheese to the sauce to make it even more creamy.
    • Toppings – Sprinkle bite sized pieces of chopped crispy bacon on top, add fresh basil or fresh parsley or for a little heat, sprinkle with red pepper flakes.
    Creamy lemon pasta on fork
    Creamy bite!

    Storage

    Store this lemon pasta with chicken in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Since this dish is made with dairy, freezing it is not recommended.

    FAQs

    • What does adding lemon to chicken do? Lemon not only adds flavor to the chicken but it can also tenderizes the chicken. However, I don’t recommend marinating chicken for longer than about 12 hours as it can make the chicken rubbery or tough.
    • Can I make this recipe ahead of time? Yes! When you are going to reheat the pasta, stir in about 1/4 cup of water or chicken stock (or broth) to keep the sauce creamy.

    Related Recipes

    If you loved this pasta recipe, then you’ll also love this pasta dish with corn and tomatoes, this easy beef stroganoff recipe, as well as this bbq chicken pasta!

    Did you make this? I’d be so grateful if you left a review below to let me know what you thought! Then, the next time you need a quick and easy recipe, come back to Fantabulosity to browse all of my easy recipes!

    📖 Recipe

    Close up photo of Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta and a fork in a white speckled serving bowl garnished with lemon slices and fresh parsley

    Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta

    Jessica Burgess
    Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta: Perfectly al dente pasta is drenched in a rich creamy lemon sauce and topped with flavorful chicken for a simple but hearty pasta dish!
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 35 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4
    Calories 817 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    • 3 tablespoon olive oil divided
    • 2 boneless skinless, chicken breasts
    • ¼ cup all purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 small onion finely chopped
    • 1 clove garlic finely chopped
    • zest of one lemon
    • juice of one lemon
    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
    • 12 oz spaghetti noodles
    • 3 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
    • Salt & Pepper to taste
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Cook the pasta in a large pot of water as directed on the packaging.
    • In a small bowl, add flour and garlic powder and stir together.
    • Place each chicken breast in the flour mixture and press on all side to cover it.
    • In a large deep skillet over medium high heat, add 2 tablespoon of olive oil. Heat olive oil and add the chicken breasts to the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes on each side or until thoroughly cooked. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
    • In the same skillet (leave all of those flavorful brown bits!), add the rest of the olive oil (1 tablespoon), add the onion and garlic and cook until softened.
    • Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, lemon zest and lemon juice. Stir until the ingredients are well combined.
    • Add the cooked pasta, and stir until the pasta is covered in sauce. Remove from heat.
    • Adjust the seasoning to taste.
    • Serve and top with sliced chicken breast. Garnish with fresh parsley.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 817kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 150mg | Sodium: 376mg | Potassium: 758mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1270IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 203mg | Iron: 4mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

    Keywords creamy pasta, easy pasta recipe, lemon pasta
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    1. Kristyn says

      September 16, 2022 at 3:19 pm

      5 stars
      Simple, but oh, so tasty!! All my favorite flavors are in this! We have made it a few times recently, since the whole family loves it!

      Reply
    2. Jamie N says

      September 16, 2022 at 3:25 pm

      5 stars
      My new favorite pasta! Love the creamy lemon flavor with the chicken!

      Reply
    3. Natasha says

      September 20, 2022 at 7:06 am

      5 stars
      I made this for dinner tonight. WOW, it was so delicious and restaurant quality! I highly recommend that you try this recipe.

      Reply

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