This creamy lemon chicken pasta is about to be your new favorite meal. Zesty lemon and tender chicken come together in a creamy pasta bursting with flavor.
We are all about easy meals in this family that are quick and delicious, and this lemon pasta recipe checks all of the boxes.
This flavorful dish has everything you could want in a perfect dinner. Bite-sized pieces of golden brown chicken are folded into a cheesy, creamy lemon sauce made with fresh lemon juice and zest. Yum!
Serve this meal alongside a simple green salad with homemade dressing, and warm sourdough garlic knots for the perfect meal that your entire family will love. You can also keep the lemon love going by enjoying a slice of sourdough lemon cake after.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Fast – This creamy chicken pasta comes together in under an hour with simple ingredients, which makes it the perfect meal next time you need a quick weeknight dinner. Check out my list of healthy whole food family meals for more ideas.
Flavorful – The lemon flavor featured in the lemon cream sauce of this pasta is so fresh and delicious. It is a great meal to make going into spring and summer!
Crowd pleaser – If you are looking for a dish that your whole family will absolutely love, this is the perfect recipe! Everyone will be asking for seconds.
Ingredients
Parmesan cheese – Freshly grated parmesan is best for this recipe. Avoid using pre-packaged shredded parmesan to avoid unnecessary fillers and to get a better flavor.
Lemon – Do not skip the fresh lemon in this chicken pasta dish! The zest and the fresh juice add so much flavor to the dish.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
Step 1: Cook pasta in salted water to al dente according to package directions. Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water before straining the pasta.
Step 2: Heat a large saucepan or pot over medium heat and add the olive oil.
Once hot, add the diced chicken to the pan along with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 8-10 minutes or until the chicken is lightly browned and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
Step 3: Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the butter to the pan. Once melted, add the garlic and saute for 1 minute.
Step 4: Add the flour to the pan and whisk for about 1 minute, then slowly whisk in the heavy cream.
Whisk frequently for about 3-5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. It should be able to coat the back of a spoon.
Step 5: Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the freshly grated parmesan and the lemon zest and juice. Taste and add more salt if desired.
Step 6: Add the cooked pasta and chicken to the sauce along with ½ cup of the pasta water.
Step 7: Stir until everything is combined and the sauce has thickened.
Step 8: Serve with more parmesan and pepper on top if desired and enjoy!
Tips
- I like to use a garlic press and fresh garlic, but you can also buy pre-minced garlic at the store to save time mincing.
- When zesting the lemon, be sure to only zest the surface yellow skin to avoid getting bitter zest into your pasta.
- Add a little bit of fresh parsley when serving to add some color to the dish. You can also sprinkle the pasta with red pepper flakes if you like a little spice.
Recipe FAQs
A great side to this creamy pasta dish would be a fresh salad with homemade ranch, or even a side of sweet peas or sautéed baby spinach.
The lemon juice in this pasta adds such a great flavor. It makes it very bright and lightens the heaviness of the creamy sauce.
Store leftover creamy lemon chicken pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
More Dinner Recipes from the Farmhouse
- Smothered Pork Steaks Recipe
- The Best Homemade Meatloaf Recipe
- Easy Zucchini Lasagna Recipe (Not Watery)
- Easy Cheeseburger Soup Recipe
- Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup From Scratch
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love it if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone.
Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Cast Iron Skillet or skillet of choice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ pounds chicken breast, cut into ½-1” cubes
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 lemon, zested + juiced
- 1 pound pasta of choice
Instructions
- Cook pasta in salted water to al dente according to package directions. Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water before straining the pasta.
- Heat a large saucepan or pot over medium heat and add the olive oil.
- Once hot, add the diced chicken to the pan along with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 8-10 minutes or until the chicken is lightly browned and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the butter to the pan. Once melted, add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
- Add the flour to the pan and whisk for about 1 minute, then slowly whisk in the heavy cream.
- Whisk frequently for about 3-5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. It should be able to coat the back of a spoon.
- Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the freshly grated parmesan and the lemon zest and juice. Taste and add more salt if desired.
- Add the cooked pasta and chicken to the sauce along with ½ cup of the pasta water.
- Stir until everything is combined and the sauce has thickened.
- Serve with more parmesan and pepper on top if desired and enjoy!
Notes
- I like to use a garlic press and fresh garlic, but you can also buy pre-minced garlic at the store to save time mincing.
- Freshly grated parmesan is best for this recipe. Avoid using pre-packaged shredded parmesan to avoid unnecessary fillers and to get a better flavor.
- Do not skip the fresh lemon in this chicken pasta dish! The zest and the fresh juice add so much flavor to the dish.
- When zesting the lemon, be sure to only zest the surface yellow skin to avoid getting bitter zest into your pasta.
- Add a little bit of fresh parsley when serving to add some color to the dish. You can also sprinkle the pasta with red pepper flakes if you like a little spice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
