🍋🧄 Lemon Garlic Butter Chicken with Creamy Parmesan Pasta
This is a rich, bright, restaurant-style dish—juicy buttery chicken paired with silky Parmesan pasta and a hint of lemon to keep it fresh.
🛒 Ingredients:
🍗 Chicken:
- 1 lb boneless chicken breast or thighs, sliced
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley (optional)
🍝 Creamy Parmesan Pasta:
- 8 oz pasta (fettuccine, penne, or linguine)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt & pepper to taste
- ¼ cup pasta water (reserved)
👩🍳 Instructions:
1. Cook pasta
Boil pasta in salted water until al dente.
Reserve ¼ cup pasta water, then drain.
2. Cook the chicken
Season chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika.
Heat olive oil in a pan and cook chicken until golden and fully cooked. Remove and set aside.
3. Make lemon garlic butter sauce
In the same pan, melt butter. Add garlic and sauté for 30–60 seconds.
Stir in lemon juice and zest. Return chicken to pan and toss to coat.
4. Make creamy Parmesan pasta
In a separate pan (or the same after chicken is removed):
- Melt butter
- Add garlic and cook briefly
- Pour in cream and simmer 2–3 minutes
- Stir in Parmesan until smooth
- Add pasta water to loosen sauce if needed
- Season with salt and pepper
5. Combine or plate
Serve creamy pasta topped with lemon garlic butter chicken.
Or toss everything together for a unified dish.
🍽️ Finish with:
- Fresh parsley
- Extra Parmesan
- Lemon wedges
🔥 Flavor profile:
- 🍋 Bright lemon freshness
- 🧄 Rich garlic butter
- 🧀 Creamy, cheesy pasta
- 🍗 Juicy, golden chicken
🔄 Variations:
- 🌶️ Add chili flakes for heat
- 🥦 Add spinach or broccoli for a full meal
- 🍄 Add mushrooms for extra depth
- 🥓 Add crispy bacon for a smoky twist
💡 Tips:
- Don’t overcook the chicken—keep it juicy
- Add Parmesan off heat to avoid grainy sauce
- Pasta water is key for silky texture
If you want, I can also make a one-pan version, air fryer chicken version, or lighter “low-cal creamy” version of this dish.