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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.