Name: Lemon Garlic Chicken Pasta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 12 oz penne pasta; 1 bunch fresh asparagus; 2 chicken breasts (butterflied); Salt and pepper (for seasoning); 1 tablespoon olive oil; 2 tablespoons butter; 6 cloves garlic (minced); 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth ( or stock); 1 cup milk or half and half; 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (leaves or powder ); 1/3 cup parmesan cheese (more for serving); 1/2 lemon (juiced)

Recipe

This lemon garlic chicken pasta is loaded with flavor from a light and zesty creamy sauce that coats each bite to perfection.

A flavorful garlic chicken pasta with a light, creamy sauce that will make any weeknight meal feel like the best eats of the week.

overhead view of lemon garlic chicken pasta in a pan topped with a lemon slice and a wooden serving spoon on the side

Creamy Lemon Garlic Pasta with Chicken

Laura fuentes holding a skillet of food standing in front of a blue door

Lemon garlic chicken pasta is one of those dinners I make when I want a complete meal in one bowl. While the pasta cooks, I sear the chicken, then make the lemon garlic sauce in the same pan to capture all those browned bits. Add a handful of vegetables for good measure, toss everything together, and dinner is ready to serve in about 30 minutes.

Ingredients

I make this recipe with penne or ziti pasta to trap all the sauce inside. Butterflied chicken breasts for quick and even cooking, and asparagus to throw in some veggies (broccoli works too). The sauce is made with butter, garlic, chicken broth, half-and-half, thyme, lemon, and Parmesan cheese.

What Veggies Can You Use

I made this recipe with asparagus, but you can also use broccoli, peas, cauliflower, spinach, or other veggies you like! If you have picky eaters, you can omit them or serve them on the side.

How to Make Lemon Garlic Chicken Pasta

Cook the pasta and veggies
Cook pasta as usual. If you’re adding veggies, add them during the last 5 minutes; they’ll cook while the pasta finishes cooking. Reserve ½ cup pasta water before draining.
Cook the chicken
You’ll start with butterflied chicken breasts to save time. Then cook them until they’re done, remove them onto a board, where they’ll stay until you slice them right before you add them back in.
Make the sauce
Make the sauce in the same pan you cooked the chicken, and scrape the browned bits into it once you add the liquid to make it more flavorful. It will need to simmer for about 10 minutes before everything is combined.

overhead view of lemon garlic sauce for chicken pasta

Combine
Add the cooked pasta, veggies, and Parmesan cheese, tossing everything together. Then squeeze ½ lemon to brighten the flavors. To make it saucier, add a little of the reserved pasta sauce and stir.
Serve
Serve this lemon-garlic chicken pasta warm, with more Parmesan and fresh parsley if you have it. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

plated garlic lemon chicken pasta recipe with a hand holding a fork to taste

More Chicken and Pasta Dinners

Try this recipe, then come back for my creamy garlic chicken pasta, my chicken Alfredo pasta, or my blackeend chicken Alfredo recipe. They’re always winners!

Lemon Garlic Chicken Pasta

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 30

This lemon garlic chicken pasta is loaded with flavor from a light and zesty creamy sauce that coats each bite to perfection.

5 from 31 votes

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Ingredients

12 oz penne pasta
1 bunch fresh asparagus
2 chicken breasts, butterflied
Salt and pepper , for seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, or stock
1 cup milk or half and half
½ teaspoon dried thyme, leaves or powder
⅓ cup parmesan cheese, more for serving
½ lemon, juiced

Instructions

Prep:

Wash and trim the asparagus ends, about 1" from the bottom, and discard the ends. Cut them into 2-3 pieces and set aside.
Butterfly the chicken breasts on a cutting board by slicing them horizontally through the middle. Pat dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper on both sides.

Cook the pasta:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook penne pasta according to package directions. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the asparagus to the pasta. Cook them with the pasta for about 5 minutes. Once the pasta is ready, reserve ½ cup pasta water, drain, and set aside.

Cook the chicken:

Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil and heat it up. Place the chicken breasts in the hot pan and cook, without moving them, for 4 minutes on the first side, then once golden and seared, flip them over and continue cooking for an additional 4 to 5 minutes until the chicken breasts' internal temperature reaches 165F. Remove them from the pan onto a cutting board.

Make the sauce:

In the same pan, melt the butter, add the garlic, and stir for 30 seconds until it's fragrant. Add the chicken broth and half-and-half to the pan, bringing it to a simmer while stirring the tidbits from the bottom. Add the thyme, stir to combine, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer the sauce for 10 minutes.

Bring it together:

Once the sauce is ready, slice the chicken diagonally into ½-inch strips and transfer them into the pan with the juices from the board.
Then add pasta and asparagus, Parmesan cheese, and squeeze ½ of the lemon into the pan. Give everything a good toss to combine. Add some of the reserved pasta water and mix to thin out the sauce. Add the rest if you want more sauce.
Serve with additional parmesan cheese over the top and a lemon wedge or extra squeeze of lemon over each plate.

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