Easy Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
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This easy breezy creamy lemon chicken pasta is a must-have pasta dish for lazy weeknights. Our creamy lemon chicken pasta recipe requires only one pot! It’s also marvelously creamy, zesty, and unforgettably delicious. Even the pickiest of eaters love it.
In this recipe, I’ll teach you how to make creamy lemon chicken pasta with spinach, half-and-half, and tender fragrant chicken pieces. You can have dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less, with minimal cleanup!
Why You’ll Love This Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
It’s lusciously creamy, yet not overly high in calories and fat. This recipe uses half-and-half along with chicken broth to get that creamy sauce instead of full-fat cream. A little butter and parmesan elevate it to perfection.
The pasta is spectacularly delicious. In this one-pot pasta recipe, the pasta is cooked directly in the sauce, releasing starch that makes it extra creamy while it soaks up all the flavors.
Creamy lemon chicken pasta is a high-class pasta dish that comes together in no more than 30 minutes and requires only one pot. That means fast, fuss-free, and minimal cleanup with restaurant-quality results.
You can customize this easy creamy lemon chicken pasta recipe to your liking. Swap or add any ingredients your family loves. Home cooking is all about creating meals you enjoy, and flexible recipes like this tasty lemon chicken pasta dish are ideal for doing just that.
Ingredients For Easy Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
As for all one-pot-pasta dishes, you’ll need one piece of equipment:
- Large straight-sided skillet or a Dutch oven
As for the ingredients, I’m sure you have most of them in your pantry already! Here is the list of ingredients to make creamy lemon chicken pasta for four people:
- 8 oz. tagliatelle (or another long noodle)
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast (cut into strips or diced)
- 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large shallot, diced
- 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour (or cornstarch for gluten-free)
- 1 cup fresh spinach, tightly packed
- 1 bunch fresh basil, divided
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 ½ cups half-and-half
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
- Salt and pepper to taste
How To Make Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
Step 1: Cook the chicken
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a Dutch oven or large straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken strips and generously season with salt and pepper.
Sear the chicken until golden brown on all sides, but still pink in the center (4-6 minutes in total). Remove from the skillet and set aside.
Step 2: Sauté aromatics and add flour
Now add the butter to the same Dutch oven or skillet, let it melt, and then add the shallot. Season with salt and pepper and cook until softened (about 2 minutes), stirring often.
Once softened, add the garlic and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute). Sprinkle in flour and stir-fry for another minute.
Step 3: Add chicken broth
Pour the chicken broth and half-and-half over the aromatics. Stir to combine well.
Step 4: Integrate pre-seared chicken, pasta, and basil sprig
Add the pre-seared chicken and uncooked pasta to the skillet, along with a sprig of basil.
Step 5: Simmer until pasta is al dente and remove basil sprig
Bring the sauce to a boil, stirring occasionally, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and let cook for 10-15 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Remove the sprig of basil.
Step 6: Incorporate spinach, lemon, and zest
Add fresh spinach, lemon juice and zest, and cook for another minute.
Step 7: Stir in parmesan and basil, then season to taste
Stir in parmesan cheese and chopped basil. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
Step 8: Garnish and serve immediately.
Garnish with more parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves. Serve immediately. Buon appetito!
Notes & Tips
- Don’t overcook the chicken in the first step or you’ll end up with dry meat. The chicken will finish cooking later along with the pasta and sauce. The first step is to brown the chicken and release that marvelous caramelized flavor that’ll seep into the sauce.
- Season with salt and pepper every step of the way. The secret to making heavenly aromatic creamy pasta dishes is to season every ingredient. Add salt and pepper to the chicken, then to the shallot, then after adding the liquids, and at the end before serving.
- Use freshly grated parmesan cheese. It may be tempting to use parmesan cheese from a can, but it just doesn’t melt like the fresh kind. I recommend using freshly grated cheese in any recipe where the cheese melts.
- If you’re using another type of long pasta, break the in half so that they cook more evenly. This also makes the dish easier to stir (and to eat later). Great if you’ve got kids at home.
Variations & Substitutions
One of the awesome characteristics of this recipe is that you can sub and swap many of the ingredients to make it your own! Here are some quick and tasty variations and swaps to fit your taste buds and dietary needs:
Swap any other vegetable for the spinach. Some classics are creamy lemon chicken pasta with peas, mushrooms, kale, or artichoke hearts. You can also keep the spinach and add another veggie for more nutrients.
Instead of chicken breasts, try boneless skinless chicken thighs for a richer, meatier flavor. You can also use a vegan chicken substitute to make this recipe vegetarian.
For meat lovers, add some pieces of crisp freshly cooked bacon. You can cook the bacon in the skillet or Dutch oven first and use the drippings for searing the chicken breasts and the aromatics later. Make the most of that addicting bacon flavor.
Switch up the herbs. I’ve tried adding a fresh sprig of time to the dish in step 3 and the flavor is wonderfully herbaceous. You could also simply add freshly chopped parsley instead of basil in step 4.
Spice it up. Add 1 teaspoon or more of red chili flakes along with the garlic for some heat. You can also sprinkle red chili flakes on top of your serving to keep the heat an individual option.
I’ve used tagliatelle, but you can use any pasta shape you like. Please note that fresh pasta requires only 2-3 minutes to cook. In this case, you could reduce the amount of broth and half-and-half to make it work.
To make this recipe dairy-free, swap the half-and-half for cashew cream, almond cream, oat cream, or coconut cream. Also, use vegetable broth, olive oil, vegan parmesan cheese, or some nutritional yeast.
Storage & Reheating
Creamy lemon chicken pasta is best served fresh, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Let the pasta cool completely before stowing it away, but don’t let it sit out for more than 2 hours.
To reheat creamy pasta, use a pot on low heat with a lid and add a splash of broth, water, or cream to restore the texture of the sauce. Alternatively, use a microwave in intervals of 45 seconds until heated through (add a splash of liquid too).
I don’t recommend freezing creamy lemon chicken pasta since it’ll mess up the textures and compromise the flavors. For a freezer-friendly meal, make our decadent Mediterranean Lasagna recipe.
Ingredients
- 8 oz. tagliatelle
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast cut into strips or diced
- 1 Tbsp. each of unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large shallot diced
- 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1 cup fresh spinach tightly packed
- 1 bunch fresh basil divided
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 ½ cups half-and-half
- 1 lemon juice and zest
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large skillet over medium-high. Add chicken, and season with salt and pepper. Sear until golden brown on all sides, but not cooked through (about 4-6 min.). Remove from skillet and set aside.
- Melt butter and add shallot. Season with salt and pepper and cook until softened, stirring often. Add garlic and cook 1 min. Add flour and stir-fry 1 min.
- Pour the chicken broth and half-and-half into the skillet. Stir to combine. Add the chicken and pasta, along with a sprig of basil. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and let cook for 10-15 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Remove the sprig of basil.
- Add spinach, lemon juice and zest. Cook for another minute. Stir in parmesan cheese and chopped basil. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
- Garnish with more parmesan cheese and fresh basil. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
