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Flavorful lemon chicken pasta is covered in a delicious sauce made from lemons, whipping cream, cheese, and fresh basil.
We love to serve this hearty lemon chicken pasta with Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks or Parmesan Crusted Zucchini. It’s a perfect pasta the whole family can enjoy!
Bright + Flavorful!
I tried this lemon chicken pasta a while ago after my mom found it somewhere and the whole family loved it (my fam pretty much loves any chicken and pasta recipe – thank heavens!). The chicken is super tender and the sauce makes it even better.
Pasta recipes are perfect for feeding a crowd. There are several ingredients in this recipe that make it amazing. The butter, lemons, whipping cream, and half & half take it to a whole new level.
To add even more flavor, we used either garlic pepper or garlic salt to season. Grated parmesan cheese and fresh chopped basil on top make this dish even more mouth-watering.
Ready in 20 Minutes!
This easy lemon chicken pasta is bright and flavorful and is on the table in no time!
PASTA. Cook pasta as directed on the box. Reserve one cup of water, drain the rest, and set the pasta aside.
SAUCE. In the same pot, melt butter over medium heat. Squeeze in the lemon juice and whisk together. Pour half & half and heavy cream together and whisk until hot. Dump in cheese and whisk until melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Check the consistency of the cream sauce and add hot pasta water until you reach your desired thickness. Stir in half of the basil.
GARNISH. Pour pasta and sauce into a large bowl. Add chicken and sprinkle the remaining basil on top. ENJOY with some Garlic Bread. Yum!
Recipe Tips
This lemon chicken pasta recipe starts with perfectly grilled chicken.
Grilled chicken. I suggest halving the chicken breasts before grilling. Season them with lemon pepper or a simple coating of garlic salt and black pepper.
- Heat the grill to medium and place the breasts on. If your grill has a temperature gauge, try to stick near the 425-450°F range.
- Place the chicken directly above the medium heat and grill each side for 5-7 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Chicken thighs can be grilled instead of chicken breasts.
Variations. This lemon chicken recipe with pasta lends perfectly to adding veggies or heat. Use these tips to change things up:
- Pasta. Use your favorite shape of pasta such as bowtie, wagon wheel, shell, or ziti.
- Veggies. If you add veggies, be sure to sauté them in olive oil before tossing them into the pasta dish.
- Spice. Add some heat with red chili flakes or a splash of hot sauce.
- Lemon. For a more pronounced lemon flavor add some lemon zest.
Storing Info
STORE leftover lemon chicken and pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. You can either eat the portions cold or warm them up in a skillet over medium heat.
If your dish is looking a little dry add some extra cream. If you’re in a hurry you can heat it up in the microwave.
Make ahead of time. Make this beforehand and store it in the refrigerator or freezer depending on when you plan to serve the meal. Either way, be sure to undercook the noodles or they will continue to absorb liquid and turn out large and mushy.
- Fridge. Make it the day before, cover it, and store it in the fridge. Reheat it on the stovetop and serve!
- Freezer. Place it in a freezer-safe airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a skillet slowly over low heat. If the cream has separated this will help it reincorporate into the dish. Adding a splash of milk will also help smooth out the texture.
Recipe FAQ
Adding salt to the water when you boil the pasta infuses some flavor directly into the pasta. Over medium-high heat bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of salt per pound of pasta to the water, then add in the pasta. Boil until al dente.
I often make a double batch so that I have enough for a freezer meal. Allow the chicken pasta to cool before placing it in a freezer-safe airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. If the cream has separated, reheating it slowly over low heat will help it reincorporate into the dish. Adding a splash of milk will also help smooth out the texture.
Since you already need to use heavy cream for this recipe you can use another ¼ cup of heavy cream and combine it with 1¾ cups of milk to create half and half.
For More Chicken & Pasta Dishes, Try:
- Chicken and Asparagus Pasta
- Triple Cheddar Chicken Pasta
- Bruschetta Chicken Pasta
- Chicken Alfredo Bake
- Pesto Chicken Florentine
- Chicken Spaghetti
- Chicken Penne Pasta
Lemon Chicken Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts grilled and sliced
- 1 lb penne cooked
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1-2 whole lemons (depending on how much lemon you want in it – I use only 1)
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup Half and Half
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese grated
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves chopped
Instructions
- Cook pasta as directed on the box. Reserve one cup of water, and set pasta aside.
- In the same pot, melt butter over medium heat. Squeeze in the juice of lemon(s) and whisk together.
- Pour half & half and cream together and whisk until hot. Dump in cheese and whisk until melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Check consistency and add hot pasta water until you reach your desired thickness. Stir in half of your basil.
- Pour pasta and sauce into a large bowl. Add chicken, and sprinkle the remaining basil on top. ENJOY with some garlic bread. Yum!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This pasta dish is fabulous! My family loved it so much. I can’t wait to make it again.
This lemon chicken pasta is so flavorful and delicious! Everyone in my family loved it, thank you for sharing!
Love this recipe and how creamy the sauce is! Such a lovely take on the classic lemon chicken.
Never had Lemon Pasta before, thought I’d give it a try. I had some lemon juice I had to use up too. I didn’t have basil so I used a little Italian seasoning. And instead of Penne I had angel hair pasta. Wowza! Explosion of lemon was amazing!! The sauce soaked right into the noodles and it was perfect. I’ll surely make this again and again. Thanks so much.
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed the pasta!
This a great recipe. It’s also good with shrimp.
I loved the grilled chicken on top of this lemon pasta. The citrus gave it bright taste
Another simple pasta recipe. We make a lot of pasta. This is a family favorite!
The lemon adds so much brightness to this dish! I love how light and delicious it is.
My kids love your recipe! They always want seconds & can’t wait for me to make it again!
Thank you so much for sharing this lemon chicken pasta recipe! so easy to make and really delicious! Will surely have this again! Well done!
This is so simple to put together and everyone in my family enjoys pasta and chicken. Win, Win!
This is one of my go-to dinner recipes. The whole family enjoys it. It’s an easy meal!
Enjoyed your recipe very much, I would add mushrooms and black olives near the end of preparation.the flavors were excellent, especially served with a cheese garlic piece of bread and a glass of red wine. Yummy
I am glad you did! That sounds perfect! Thank you!
A family favorite!! We serve it with a side of sauteed mushrooms and spInach.
Sounds yum! I am so glad you tried it & liked it! Thank you!
I used Trader Joe’s Lemon Pepper pappaerdelle pasta, SO DELICIOUS will make again and again. I love lemon and pasta. I love your recipes!
Awe, thank you so much!! It’s a good combination 🙂
I just made this dish for 12 people for easter dinner. It was a huge hit! Delicious! I doubled the recipe, added some garlic with the butter and forgot to save some pasta water so used chicken broth to thin it out a bit. This is a keeper!
The stars didn’t show up….It’s a 5!
I love to hear that!! I am glad it was a hit 🙂 This is one of our favorites!
Sorry I meant that to be five stars…????
Oh my this was good. This was REALLY GOOD… I added a little more cheese and since I salt my pasta water I did not need salt called for, I used a large lemon which was just perfect. And we love fresh flavor so I used a handful of basil might be a little overwhelming for some. And since I did not have time to grill my chicken I cubed a rotisserie chicken and threw everything in together. THANK YOU. Definitely a quick dinner keeper….
I’m so happy that you liked it!! I love the changes you made. Adding the rotisserie chicken probably saves time:) And, I love basil, so the more the merrier!! Thanks for sharing!
Very tasty,
I was out of basil so we added fresh rosemary (and a dash of white wine) at the start of the cooking and then topped with some olives one minute before finished and removed the rosemary stalk.
Will do again
Those sound tasty!! Thanks so much for sharing!
God bless you.
I live in Australia and would love to know what “half and half” is ??
It’s a mixture of milk and cream that is sold in a carton in the dairy section… not sure if Australia has it or not but if it doesn’t Taste of Home has a substitute recipe for it: http://www.tasteofhome.com/cooking-tips/ask-the-test-kitchen/half-and-half-substitute 😀
Yum! How many does this serve? Thanks!
Sorry to ask, but what is “half and half”?
half milk half cream
Any tips if the sauce was too thin?
Hmmmm, not sure why it would be thin. I’d maybe add less whipping cream and a tid more cheese to make it thicker. 😉
Looks yummy! How did you season the chicken?
We usually add some olive oil and garlic pepper or any other favorite seasonings. 😉
The ingredient list says 1-2 lemons and the instructions say to add the juice of 3 lemons. Other reviewers say too lemony. I’m totally confused. Is one lemon too much? Are two lemons too much? Are three lemons too much?
I tried this recipe tonight. While making the sauce, the lemons curdled the milk! I was whisking and whisking away and it had micro cottage cheese in there. I dumped it out, put lemon on the chicken and made a garlic, basil cream sauce instead. Any suggestions?
I’m trying this tonight I’ll be sure to come back and write a review
Let me know how it goes!! 😀
Made this today and the family loved it! I only used 1 lemon and added 1/2 lb shrimp because my husband loves anything with shrimp in it 🙂
If my family liked shrimp I’d add it too, but no one likes sea food. SO glad they liked it. Thanks for stopping by!!
How did you cook your chicken?
You grill the chicken (:
I made this dish on Thursday for my family and guests, it was a HUGE success!!! The dish was so beautiful on the plate that I served it on that my friend said it was, Pinterest worthy! I made it with the tricolored bow tie pasta it really makes the food pop with color…the flavor speaks for itself. Try it!!!
LOVE it!!! I’ll have to try the tri-colored pasta next time. I’m sure it looked beautiful!
Did you use a marinade for your chicken breast?
This looks totally restaurant worthy – I can’t wait to try it!
Thank you, Deborah!! I think you will love it. Let me know how it goes if you get a chance to try it out. Have a great day! XO
We have cereal and pancakes for dinner more than I care to admit! We all love pasta around here, I’ll have save this to try asap!
Oh yeah… pancakes is our other back up meal. It’s easy and everyone loves it! 😀
looks so nice
It tastes good too! 😀 Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
This looks amazing!! Pinning! Also, you are for sure not the only one. I feel like four nights out of five I have no clue what to make at 4:30!
Thank you, Lisa! Glad I’m not the only one. 😉 Thanks again for stopping by! 😀