This creamy lemon butter chicken pasta is quick, easy, and scrumptious. If your family is like mine, once they try it, this just might become one of their favorite new weeknight meals on their most requested list.
Restaurant Style Pasta Recipe
If you are craving an easy restaurant style pasta recipe to make at home, here is a must try. Often recipes that we love to order when we go out can be made easily at home if you just knew how. This is one of those types of recipes.
It is a fantastic weeknight meal that the entire family can enjoy. I always hope for leftovers, so I have something delicious to heat up for lunch the next day.
Make This Lemon Butter Chicken Pasta Under 30 Minutes
By the time the pasta is done, your sauce will be ready too. Use rotisserie chicken to speed things up even more. Just toss the cooked pasta in the honey lemon garlic sauce with chicken; add some shredded Chai BellaVitano cheese and your homemade scrumptious meal is ready to enjoy.
I do add some pasta water if the pasta soaks up too much of the sauce; just a ladle or two.
The creamy garlic and butter flavors are delicious all on their own. Add the brightness of a bit of lemon and a bit of cheese; well, it is just delectable.
Honey Lemon Garlic Butter Pasta Recipe
Use pantry ingredients for big and flavorful taste. This buttered pasta is like eating an upscale comfort food. Make this without the chicken and you have a delicious side-dish that will pair nicely with so many main dishes. It is really that good all on its own.
Pair this pasta with any protein. It is always nice to have a go-to sauce that just seems to work with whatever you have in mind. I have used shrimp, steak bites, pork, and of course chicken in with fettuccine, linguine, spaghetti, even angel hair pasta works well in this recipe. Perfect for vegetables too. Sauté them right in the sauce too. No worries, it all seems to work.
Ingredients Needed For This Easy Weeknight Meal
Pair just 8 ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen for this scrumptious dish. Butter, garlic, lemon, parsley, salt, chicken, cheese, and pasta. Oh, and water to cook the pasta.
Recipe Success Tips
In a medium-sized kettle boil water and add salt. This salt will help flavor your pasta while it cooks. Cook your pasta according to the directions on the pasta container. However, in general it should take between 10-13 minutes for the pasta to be tender and ready for the sauce.
While the pasta is cooking, work on the chicken (or other protein) and sauce. I used a rotisserie chicken and just removed the chicken meat and cut it into bite-sized pieces. However, any type of protein works well in this recipe. If you are using raw chicken breasts, just dice up the meat and cook in a bit of olive oil until done, then carry on with the rest of the recipe.
If using shrimp or scallops, they can be added raw and cooked in the sauce.
Shredded cheese for the recipe. While today I used a bold flavored Chai BellaVitano, you can use Asiago, Parmesan, Romano, or any cheese that you enjoy.
Fresh Parsley. I added the parsley near the end of the sauce cooking and I also sprinkled some on top. However, if you are a lover of cilantro, sprinkle some of that on top at the end. It adds another layer of freshness to this buttery garlic sauce.
Storage and Reheating
Store in the refrigerator up to 4 days in an airtight container. Reheat in a skillet with a bit of butter or in a microwave. Either way works. I would not recommend freezing this pasta dish as the pasta can get mushy when frozen and reheated.
Creamy Lemon Butter Chicken Pasta
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Kitchen Essentials
Ingredients
- 5 Quarts Water Add 1 teaspoon of salt to flavor the pasta
- 16 Ounces Pasta I used fettucine today
- 3 Cups Cooked Chicken Cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup Butter melted
- 1/2 cup honey
- 8 cloves garlic minced or 3 tablespoons of jarred minced
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt adjust as needed
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- 8 Ounces BellaVitano Cheese shredded
Instructions
- In a large kettle, bring water to a rapid boil. Add salt and pasta. Stir and return to a boil.5 Quarts Water, 16 Ounces Pasta
- Cook uncovered until just tender, stirring occasionally. About 10-13 minutes.
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce and chicken. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.1/2 cup Butter
- Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.8 cloves garlic
- Add the honey and salt. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Let it boil a 1-2 minutes.1/2 cup honey, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Add the lemon juice and parsley. Cook another minute.4 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
- Add the cooked chicken and warm through on medium-low heat until the pasta is done.3 Cups Cooked Chicken
- When the pasta is done, I just use a tongs to take the pasta out of the water and place it in the skillet. If the pasta seems a bit dry, add a bit of the pasta water. Mix together with the tongs.
- Add the shredded cheese.8 Ounces BellaVitano
- Add some more shredded cheese with fresh parsley.
