Description
This Lemon Chicken Pasta recipe offers a vibrant and creamy dish featuring tender seared chicken breasts served over linguine in a luscious lemon-infused cream sauce. With bright citrus notes and a rich Parmesan finish, it’s an easy yet elegant dinner perfect for any night of the week.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 8 ounces linguine (or fettuccine)
Chicken
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 small cloves garlic, minced
- Zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 cup dry white wine (or chicken broth)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch (mixed with the heavy cream)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Garnish (optional)
- Chopped parsley
- Extra grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the linguine until just al dente according to package instructions. Before draining, reserve about 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water, then drain the pasta.
- Prep and sear the chicken: Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness. Season both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and sear the chicken until golden brown and cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165°F. Transfer the chicken to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm and rest.
- Start the sauce base: In the same skillet over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the minced garlic and lemon zest and sauté just until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
- Deglaze and reduce: Pour in the white wine (or chicken broth) to deglaze the pan, scraping up all browned bits from the bottom. Allow the wine to reduce for 1 to 2 minutes to enhance the sauce depth. Stir in the chicken broth and heat through.
- Add cream: In a separate container, whisk the cornstarch into the cold heavy cream until smooth. Slowly stir this cream mixture into the skillet and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Do not let it boil to prevent curdling.
- Finish: Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the lemon juice and freshly grated Parmesan until the sauce is smooth and creamy. If the sauce is too thick, loosen it by adding a splash of the reserved pasta water. Toss the drained pasta in the sauce. Slice the rested chicken and arrange it on top of the pasta. Garnish with chopped parsley and extra Parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
- Make sure not to overcook the pasta; it should be al dente to maintain good texture when mixed with the sauce.
- Resting the chicken after cooking keeps it juicy and tender.
- Control the heat carefully during sauce preparation to avoid burning garlic and curdling the cream.
- The reserved pasta water helps thin the sauce and helps it cling better to the pasta for a silky finish.
- For a non-alcoholic version, substitute white wine with extra chicken broth.
