Easy Lemon Garlic Chicken Pasta
This lick your plate clean creamy lemon chicken pasta recipe is one that the whole family will love. This is a homemade hot meal you can have on the table in 30 minutes!
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I've never heard a parent brag about how picky their child is! On the other hand, I consider it a slam-dunk, home-run, touchdown, brag-worthy meal when my kids actually lick their plates clean! And while most meals don't elicit this reaction, this easy chicken pasta recipe is plate-licking good every single time! It's fast and easy and can be on their plates in about 30 minutes!
You can find a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Creamy Lemon Garlic Chicken Pasta
In our home, we call this dish Creamy Lemon Garlic Chicken Pasta. A store-bought rotisserie chicken is the key to making this meal so quickly. The sauce is a classic white sauce, with the addition of minced garlic, lemon zest and juice and chopped parsley. It's so good and has become one of our family's favorite go-to meals.
You can find a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Recipe Ingredients
- 3-4 cups chopped cooked chicken (I always use a rotisserie because it's easy and full of flavor)
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 heaping Tbsp flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup milk
- zest of 1 lemon
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- grated parmesan cheese (optional)
- small handful chopped parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
- pasta (I used La Moderna penne that I found at Walmart)*
*Note: we love any tube pasta that soaks up all the wonderful, flavorful sauce but use any pasta you have on hand
Helpful tools to make this recipe
These are some of my favorite and most essential kitchen tools that I use all the time! You may have one or all of them. I find they are indispensable for getting this meal on the table quickly.
2. box grater - no need to have several graters, I find the box grater does it all!
3. lemon reamer - rinses clean so easily and gets all the juice out of the lemon
4. large scraper - handy for scooping up food to toss in the pot!
5. Santoku knife I love it for chopping, dicing and even mincing. I got rid of my garlic press because I don't need it anymore! This knife is the bomb!
Now that our prep is done, let's make some pasta!
How to make easy chicken pasta with creamy lemon garlic white sauce
STEP 1
This sauce comes together so quickly that the first thing I do is to get my pasta water heating so that everything is ready at the same time!
For the sauce: Melt butter in large pan (I use my largest 14" frying pan) over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook for about a minute.
STEP 2
Whisk in flour, stirring constantly for a minute. It will be very thick. Just keep stirring!
STEP 3
Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and the milk. Cook and stir occasionally until sauce thickens and starts to boil.
STEP 4
Reduce heat to simmer, add the chicken and heat through.
STEP 5
Once sauce is simmering, season with salt and pepper to taste, add the lemon zest and juice. Let it continue simmering. I also like to add some grated parmesan cheese at this point for extra flavor.
STEP 6
Drop the pasta and stir.
I'm using La Moderna penne because I love how the shape of the noodles holds the sauce. I just discovered the brand. This 100% high protein durum wheat is planted and harvested under special conditions, giving it great consistency, texture and flavor.
STEP 7
Once the pasta is cooked, use a strainer to transfer it to the sauce. If the sauce has thickened too much, loosen it with a little pasta water.
Add the parsley and stir it all together. Let the kids know it's time to eat!
This easy chicken pasta dish is comfort food all the way!
Amazing flavor!
As the chicken heats in the sauce, it shreds and becomes part of this creamy, tasty deliciousness! Some cream sauces are very heavy, but this one is light and fresh with the burst of lemon and garlic...there's nothing heavy about it.Go on and give this recipe a try...I know you'll enjoy how easy it is to prepare!
Click here if you'd like a printable 4 x 6 recipe card!
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And if you feel the need to lick your plate clean, I won't tell!
bringing beauty to the ordinary,
If you are a fan of easy chicken dishes, here are some of my other tried-and-true chicken recipes:
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