Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta

Recipe adapted from Dishing Out Health.

Ingredients:

Lemon Herb Chicken:

• 1 lb. chicken breast tenders or thinly sliced breasts
• 2 TBSP  olive oil, plus more if needed
• 2 tsp. lemon zest
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 3/4 tsp. black pepper

Creamy Lemon Pasta:

• 1 lb. pasta of choice 
• 1 TBSP butter
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 1/2 c. onion, finely chopped 
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 3/4 c. chicken broth
• 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/3 c. parsley, finely chopped fresh parsley (plus more for garnish, if desired)
• 1/3 c. grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (plus more for garnish)
• 1 TBSP lemon zest
• 3 TBSP fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Marinate Chicken: Place chicken in a bowl and combine with olive oil through pepper. Toss well to thoroughly coat both sides of chicken in seasoning. Add more olive oil, if needed, so that spices coat chicken well.
2. Start Pasta Water: Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.
3. Cook Chicken in Air Fryer – Option 1: Preheat Air Fryer to 400F, then add the chicken tenders and cook for 10 minutes. If using chicken breasts, preheat Air Fryer to 370F, add chicken and cook for 10 minutes; then flip the chicken and cook for additional 4-8 minutes, or until done. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
4. Cook Chicken in Skillet – Option 2: Heat a large high-sided skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Arrange chicken in pan and cook until nicely golden and internal temperature reaches 165ºF, about 7 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.
5. Cook Pasta: When water is boiling, begin cooking pasta until just shy of al dente (the pasta will finish cooking in the sauce). Before draining, reserve 1 c. of pasta cooking water.
6. Prepare Sauce. Heat skillet over medium heat, and add butter and olive oil to the pan (no need to wipe clean); when butter is melted, add the chopped yellow onion. Cook over medium heat until the onion softens, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes, until aromatic. Add heavy cream, broth, salt, and black pepper. Bring mixture to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, until the mixture slightly thickens, about 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in parsley, Parmesan cheese, lemon zest and juice.
7. Add Pasta to Sauce: Add pasta to the pan with sauce, along with 1/2 c. of the reserved pasta cooking water. Increase the heat to medium-high, and toss vigorously with a pair of tongs. Continue cooking and tossing constantly, until the pasta is glossed in a thick sauce, about 2 minutes. If the sauce becomes too tight, add another splash of the reserved pasta water and toss again. When the sauce is nicely thickened and glossy, turn off heat. Keep 1/2 c. of pasta water to reheat your leftovers.
8. Slice Chicken: Thinly slice chicken and place on top of the pasta. Garnish with chopped parsley, grated Parmesan, cracked black pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

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Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta

Recipe by RC

Ingredients

• Lemon Herb Chicken:

• 1 lb. chicken breast tenders or thinly sliced breasts

• 2 TBSP  olive oil, plus more if needed

• 2 tsp. lemon zest

• 2 tsp. dried oregano

• 1 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

• 1 tsp. garlic powder

• 1 tsp. onion powder

• 3/4 tsp. salt

• 3/4 tsp. pepper

• Creamy Lemon Pasta:

• 1 lb. pasta of choice 

• 1 TBSP butter

• 1 TBSP olive oil

• 1 1/2 c. onion, finely chopped 

• 6 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 c. heavy cream

• 3/4 c. chicken broth

• 3/4 tsp. kosher salt

• 1/2 tsp. black pepper

• 1/3 c. parsley, finely chopped fresh parsley (plus more for garnish, if desired)

• 1/3 c. grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (plus more for garnish)

• 1 TBSP lemon zest

• 3 TBSP fresh lemon juice

Directions

• Marinate Chicken: Place chicken in a bowl and combine with olive oil through pepper. Toss well to thoroughly coat both sides of chicken in seasoning. Add more olive oil, if needed, so that spices coat chicken well.
• Start Pasta Water: Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.
• Cook Chicken in Air Fryer - Option 1: Preheat Air Fryer to 400F, then add the chicken tenders and cook for 10 minutes. If using chicken breasts, preheat Air Fryer to 370F, add chicken and cook for 10 minutes; then flip the chicken and cook for additional 4-8 minutes, or until done. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
• Cook Chicken in Skillet - Option 2: Heat a large high-sided skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Arrange chicken in pan and cook until nicely golden and internal temperature reaches 165ºF, about 7 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.
• Cook Pasta: When water is boiling, begin cooking pasta until just shy of al dente (the pasta will finish cooking in the sauce). Before draining, reserve 1 c. of pasta cooking water.
• Prepare Sauce. Heat skillet over medium heat, and add butter and olive oil to the pan (no need to wipe clean); when butter is melted, add the chopped yellow onion. Cook over medium heat until the onion softens, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes, until aromatic. Add heavy cream, broth, salt, and black pepper. Bring mixture to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, until the mixture slightly thickens, about 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in parsley, Parmesan cheese, lemon zest and juice.
• Add Pasta to Sauce: Add pasta to the pan with sauce, along with 1/2 c. of the reserved pasta cooking water. Increase the heat to medium-high, and toss vigorously with a pair of tongs. Continue cooking and tossing constantly, until the pasta is glossed in a thick sauce, about 2 minutes. If the sauce becomes too tight, add another splash of the reserved pasta water and toss again. When the sauce is nicely thickened and glossy, turn off heat. Keep 1/2 c. of pasta water to reheat your leftovers.
• Slice Chicken: Thinly slice chicken and place on top of the pasta. Garnish with chopped parsley, grated Parmesan, cracked black pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice.