Description
Using rotisserie or leftover chicken makes this easy creamy lemon chicken pasta recipe perfect for busy weeknights! It comes together quickly with no fancy ingredients.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 tablespoon flour
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
- zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- fresh parsley (optional garnish)
- extra parmesan (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Step: Boil a salted pot of water for the pasta and cook it al dente according to package directions.
- Step: When the pasta is approx. 10 minutes away from being done, add the butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once it melts, sprinkle the flour in and cook for about a minute, stirring fairly often.
- Step: Add in the garlic, followed by the broth and lemon juice + zest. Let it bubble for one minute.
- Step: Whisk in the cream, then stir in the chicken, and cook it for a few minutes until the sauce has thickened up to your liking.
- Step: Stir in the parmesan cheese and take the skillet off the heat. Season with salt & pepper as needed.
- Step: Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss until coated (add a tablespoon or so of the pasta water to the sauce prior to draining it, especially if the sauce has become a little too thick). Serve immediately with more parmesan and a bit of chopped parsley if desired.
Notes
I do NOT recommend subbing the heavy cream for anything with a lower fat content (e.g. half-and-half or milk) because the lemon in the sauce is very likely to curdle it, and you’ll have to add more flour to thicken the sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 624 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 310 mg
- Fat: 36 g
- Saturated Fat: 20 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 156 mg
Keywords: creamy lemon chicken pasta, quick dinner, 30-minute meal, lemon chicken