Lemon Garlic Butter Chicken with Creamy Parmesan Pasta
🛒 Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 2 boneless chicken breasts (halved or pounded even)
- Salt & black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- Juice of 1 lemon + zest
For the pasta:
- 250g pasta (fettuccine or linguine)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¾–1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- Salt & pepper
- ½ cup reserved pasta water
- Fresh parsley (optional)
👨🍳 Instructions
1. Cook the pasta
- Boil in salted water until al dente.
- Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain.
2. Cook the chicken
- Season chicken with salt, pepper, paprika, and Italian seasoning.
- Heat butter + olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
- Cook chicken 5–6 minutes per side until golden and cooked through.
- Add garlic in the last minute.
- Squeeze in lemon juice, add zest, and spoon the sauce over the chicken.
- Remove and rest, then slice.
3. Make the creamy Parmesan sauce
- In the same pan, melt butter and sauté garlic briefly.
- Add cream and simmer gently 2–3 minutes.
- Stir in Parmesan until smooth.
- Season with salt & pepper.
4. Combine
- Toss cooked pasta into the sauce.
- Add pasta water gradually to loosen and make it silky.
- Return sliced chicken to the pan.
5. Serve
- Garnish with parsley, extra Parmesan, and a light squeeze of lemon if desired.
🔥 Tips that elevate it
- Zest the lemon before juicing—it adds a stronger citrus aroma.
- Keep heat low after adding cheese to avoid a grainy sauce.
- Add spinach or asparagus for a fresher feel.
- A pinch of chili flakes gives a subtle kick.
