Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
This creamy lemon chicken pasta combines bright and tangy creamy pasta, crunchy baked chicken cutlets, garlicky burst cherry tomatoes, and savory Parmesan cheese.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 1347kcal
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts trimmed of excess fat
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
Breading
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese freshly grated is best, but the canned Parmesan will also work
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp dried Italian seasoning
Garlic cherry tomatoes
- 16 oz cherry tomatoes sliced in half (or kept whole if small)
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Creamy lemon pasta
- 16 oz dried spaghetti pasta
- 1 cup reserved pasta water (from boiling the pasta, you may not use it all)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter divided
- 4 - 5 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1/3 - 1/2 cup dry white wine we use chardonnay
- 4 oz cream cheese softened to room temperature and cubed
- zest of 1 lemon
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice fresh is best
- 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese freshly grated is best, but the canned Parmesan will also work
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp dried Italian seasoning
Garnish
- minced fresh basil
- additional lemon zest
- additional Parmesan cheese
- additional black pepper
Instructions
Prepare
- Preheat oven to 450°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.
- Add chicken breast to a cutting board. Hold your knife parallel to the board and carefully slice the chicken from right to left (if you’re a righty)… opening the chicken breast up like a book. Slice all the way through, so you now have 2 thinly sliced pieces of chicken. Repeat with other chicken breast.
- Combine mayonnaise and dijon mustard in a small bowl and set aside.
- Combine breading ingredients together in a shallow bowl and set aside.
- While oven is preheating, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a generous amount of salt, then boil spaghetti, a minute or so shy of the time the package suggests for al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain and toss with a bit of oil to prevent sticking.
Bread chicken
- Season chicken breasts halves, on both sides, with the salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, and Italian seasoning.
- Spread approximately 1 Tbsp of the mayo/mustard mixture over the top of a piece of chicken, then press (mayo side down) firmly into the panko mixture. Place chicken on one side of the prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining chicken pieces. You'll only be breading the top side of the chicken breasts.
Bake chicken
- Bake chicken for about 10 minutes in preheated oven.
Make burst garlic cherry tomatoes
- While chicken is cooking, in a small mixing bowl, combine garlic tomato ingredients, stirring well.
- After the chicken has been baking for 10 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven and add garlic tomatoes to the other side of the baking sheet. Return to the oven and bake another 10 minutes.
- While tomatoes and chicken are cooking, make the sauce.
Make lemon pasta
- In a large deep skillet, add 3 Tbsp of butter and heat over MED heat. Once melted, add garlic and cook for about a minute, stirring often to prevent burning.
- Pour in white wine and cook for about another minute or so.
- Add remaining 5 Tbsp butter, cream cheese, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Whisk to combine, then slowly whisk in the reserved pasta water, a little at a time, whisking as you pour. Use about 1/2 a cup for now, keeping the rest in case you need it later.
- Stir in lemon juice and Parmesan cheese, whisking well to really get everything combined.
- Add drained pasta to the skillet and toss to combine. If pasta looks a little dry, feel free to add in the pasta water you kept, a little a time, and stirring well as you pour, until it reaches the saucy consistency you’d like.
Garnish and serve
- Slice cooked chicken into thin strips.
- Serve pasta hot, with sliced chicken and some of the burst tomatoes on top, garnished with some minced fresh basil, a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, a sprinkle of lemon zest, and a sprinkle of black pepper.
Notes
- This recipe feeds our family of 4, with leftovers. So even though I counted it as 4 servings, it could likely serve more like 6-8 if you didn't want leftovers.
Nutrition
Calories: 1347kcal | Carbohydrates: 119g | Protein: 68g | Fat: 62g | Saturated Fat: 33g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 207mg | Sodium: 2809mg | Potassium: 1190mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 2353IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 868mg | Iron: 5mg