A recipe for Lemon Chicken Pasta! Tender pasta is tossed with chicken slices and a lemon cream sauce with plenty of Parmesan.
This Lemon Chicken Pasta is a bright and flavorful meal, but still easy to put together on a weeknight with only a few minutes of prep.
Seasoned pieces of chicken are seared on each side, then simmered in a savory sauce before tossing in the pasta, cream, and lemon juice/zest.
Immediately before serving, stir in freshly grated Parmesan, adjust flavors to taste, and add a little parsley for garnish.
A Few Tips
I made this Lemon Chicken Pasta with farfalle (butterfly pasta). It can be swapped for another favorite medium-sized shape such as rotini or conchiglie (shells).
Take care to not overcook the noodles while boiling. They should be just barely tender and will soften a little further in the sauce.
Don’t forget to reserve about 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) of the cooking water from the pasta. This will help blend the flavors together.
Simmer the pasta water and chicken stock until the liquid has reduced by half. It needs to thicken a bit before adding the pasta and remaining ingredients.
I used boneless chicken thighs. If swapping for boneless chicken breasts, the cooking time may need to decrease a little to make sure the chicken doesn’t become tough. Don’t add to the simmering chicken stock until it has reduced a bit.
Adjust the amount of salt to taste. You may need more or less depending on the salt content of your chicken broth. Remember the Parmesan will have a little saltiness as well.
Want to add spice? Stir in a large pinch or two of red pepper flakes.
Looking for some vegetables? Pair alongside a salad or toss in some arugula or baby spinach leaves immediately before serving.
Do not stir in the Parmesan until after removing the pan from heat and the sauce has stopped bubbling.
Looking for more recipes with lemon?
Try my:
This recipe was originally posted in May 2013 and updated in June 2023.
Lemon Chicken Pasta Recipe
Adapted from Chef Julie Yoon
Lemon Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) olive oil
- 1 pound (450 grams) boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 pound (450 grams) dried farfalle or other medium shape pasta
- 1 onion peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) cooking water from pasta
- 2 cups (470 milliliters) chicken stock
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) heavy cream
- Zest from 2 lemons
- 1/3 cup (80 milliliters) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 ounces (57 grams) freshly grated Parmesan plus more for garnish
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- In a large skillet, drizzle the olive oil over medium heat.
- Season the chicken thighs on each side with salt and pepper.
- Once thoroughly heated, add the chicken thighs in a single layer. You may have to do this in batches.
- Once golden brown, flip the chicken and cook the other side until golden. Remove to a plate and allow to rest for about 5-10 minutes before cutting into thin slices.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add the pasta and cook until barely tender, al dente. Remove and set aside 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) of the cooking water before draining.
- Place the large skillet back over medium heat and add another splash of olive oil if needed.
- Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Stir in the garlic and cook until just fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Pour in the reserved 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) pasta water, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to remove any browned bits.
- Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a simmer.
- Add the sliced chicken thighs and continue to cook until heated through and the liquid has reduced by half.
- Toss in the cooked pasta and the heavy cream. Once heated through, stir in the lemon zest and juice. Adjust flavors to taste, adding more salt and pepper as needed.
- Remove from heat. Once the mixture has stopped simmering, stir in the freshly grated Parmesan until well coated.
- Serve immediately with parsley for garnish and an additional sprinkling of Parmesan if desired.
Sarah
I love pasta with lemon in it. Comforting and bright all at the same time.
My2qties
Absolutely delicious.
Ned
Such a delicious light sauce with one of my favorite pastas! Thank you for this recipe.
Traci
Lemon, chicken, and pasta … all my favorites in one dish! Great recipe for busy weeknights. Thanks so much for sharing!
Andrea
This sounds marvelous. Creamy lemon sauce with chicken and pasta. I could go for a great big bowl of this deliciousness right now!
Suja md
It’s a perfect fit for my family! So delicious!
Emily
This looks so delicious! I will definitely add a pinch of red pepper flakes and stir in some spinach before serving!
imsen
This LEMON CHICKEN PASTA looks so amazing! I love the combination of the flavors! Thanks for sharing