• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Casually Peckish
  • About
  • Recipes
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Pasta

    Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta

    Published: Jul 22, 2022 by Genevieve

    Jump to Recipe

    Say hello to your new go-to comfort food that won't have you feeling like you've gained ½ kilo (a pound) after eating! This delicious, satisfyingly creamy lemon chicken pasta is a fantastic easy weeknight dinner choice that can be done in just under 30 minutes!

    It's creamy, it's carby, it's a little zesty and it uses simple everyday ingredients. Sounds good? I think so too.

    Although rich and creamy, this recipe uses a good mix of stock, heavy cream and parmesan cheese so that it does not taste too heavy. Will there be room for dessert after eating? You bet!

    Close up of creamy chicken pasta

    For more creamy pasta recipes, also check out the sister recipe, creamy chicken and bacon pasta and cousin, creamy chicken and bacon pasta bake.

    Golden creamy pasta in a pan
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Cooking instructions
    • Useful tips & tricks
    • Good to know
    • Make ahead
    • Leftovers/storage
    • 📖 Recipe

    Ingredients

    Ingredients required to make creamy lemon chicken pasta dish, labled
    • Pasta - any shape you like, I like using fettuccine or linguine.
    • Chicken breasts - easy and quick to cook lean cut. Works well with a heavy sauce like this recipe. Can use chicken thighs too if preferred.
    • Parmesan cheese - where possible, buy cheese in blocks and grate at home yourself. Not only is this a more economical option, freshly grated cheese also tastes better! More importantly, freshly grated parmesan cheese melts extremely well as it does not include anti-caking agents.
    • Fresh lemon - both the juice and zest of the lemon will be used for a delicious citrusy aroma.
    • Thyme (not pictured, my bad!) - fresh or dried thyme will both be okay to use.

    Cooking instructions

    This creamy lemon chicken pasta dish is super easy to make and can be done in just under 30 minutes from prep to serve!

    Pan-sear chicken and cook pasta

    To start, slice chicken breasts by half horizontally. Thinner chicken breasts are much quicker to pan-sear plus there is more surface for the chicken to cook to golden brown. This in turn translates to complexity and flavour!

    For extra large breastss you may wish to slice into 3 thin slices (like I did in the picture below - 5 slices for 2 breasts).

    3 step collage of pan frying chicekn breasts with captions

    Once the chicken breasts are sliced, season with salt and pepper. Pan-sear until golden on high heat with unsalted butter. Use either a frying pan or a shallow cast iron casserole.

    This will only take about 2 minutes per side. Rest then cut into bite-sized pieces and set aside.

    Now, cook fettuccine (or whatever shape you like) according to packet instructions. Remember to season the pasta cooking water generously.

    cooking pasta with caption

    The general rule of thumb for salt to pasta to water ratio is 1 teaspoon of salt for every 100 g (3.5 oz) of dried pasta using 1 litre (1 quart) of water.

    Don't worry, most of the salt will remain in the water and the pasta will taste delightfully flavourful. Oh, the magic of salt.

    Whilst the pasta is cooking, get the creamy lemon sauce going.

    Make the creamy lemon sauce (lemony alfredo sauce)

    In the same pan (no need to wash), soften finely chopped onions and minced garlic with unsalted butter. Cook on low heat for about 3 to 4 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to catch all the flavour from searing the chicken.

    3 step collage of softening onions with captions

    Then, scatter in plain flour. Mix well with a wooden spatula until a thick, paste is formed. Pour in chicken (or veg) stock and mix well until a very thick sauce is formed with no lumps.

    Using butter and flour (roux) to thicken a sauce is the core technique of making a bechamel sauce as seen in my healthy, no cream creamy mushroom pasta recipe, my very best beef lasagna recipe or white chicken lasagna recipe!

    3 step collage of making creamy lemon sauce with captions

    To finish off, add heavy cream, freshly grated parmesan cheese, zest and juice of half a lemon (~1 tbsp) and thyme. Mix well. Give the sauce a quick taste and season with salt and pepper to your liking.

    Bringing it all together

    To complete this lemony, creamy chicken pasta sauce, add in chicken pieces with all the juices. Mix and simmer on low heat for about 2 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked (if it was not from the searing process).

    2 step collage of tossing pasta in creamy chicken sauce with captions

    By now, the pasta should be cooked. Drain and add it to the creamy lemon chicken pasta sauce. Toss and serve with extra parmesan cheese!

    See how creamy this alfredo sauce is!? The beauty of this dish is that it does not taste too heavy as chicken stock is added to the (well-balanced) mix.

    I would not go as far as calling this a guilt-free creamy chicken pasta but it sure is one that won't leave you feeling like you've gained ½ kilo (1 pound) after eating!

    Room for dessert? Oh yes.

    Optimal comfort dinner? Most definitely.

    Creamy saucy pasta

    Useful tips & tricks

    • Do not throw out the chicken juices - the pool of resting juices after searing is the perfect flavour booster for the sauce! Add that to the sauce.
    • Simmer chicken in the sauce for no longer than 2 minutes - to avoid overcooking. Overcooked chicken breasts toughens up and become harder to chew (no matter how creamy the sauce is!)
    • Generously season the pasta cooking water - no bland pasta here. This recipe uses simple ingredients so seasoning at every step is key to flavour!
    • Reserve a ½ cup of pasta cooking water - this will come in handy for those going for seconds when the sauce has been mostly soaked up by the pasta! A little pasta cooking water can very easily loosen the sauce up and get it all saucy again.
    Close up of golden creamy pasta

    Good to know

    Will the creamy sauce curdle with lemon juice added?

    Not for this recipe as only about 1 tablespoon of lemon juice is added so the acidity isn't high enough to curdle the creamy sauce. The creamy sauce in this recipe has sufficient fat from the heavy cream, butter and parmesan cheese to prevent curdling!

    Can I use light cream instead of heavy cream (aka thickened cream)?

    Although I have not tried it, I would advise against it for this recipe! The high-fat content in this creamy alfredo sauce is what prevents the sauce from curdling once lemon juice is added.

    Close up of creamy sauce and pasta with chicken

    Make ahead

    You can make the creamy lemon chicken pasta sauce up to 3 days in advance, storing in air-tight containers. Simply cook the pasta, reheat the sauce and toss through on the day of serving.

    Leftovers/storage

    Keeps well for up to 4 days in the fridge and up to 4 months in the freezer, stored in airtight containers.

    Upon reheating, add a splash or two of water to loosen the pasta up. If frozen, let it thaw in the fridge before reheating (take it out the night before).

    Made this recipe? Let me know your thoughts or questions by dropping a note in the comments section below! I'd love to hear from you. 🙂

    Happy cooking! - Gen

    📖 Recipe

    Close up of creamy chicken pasta

    Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta

    This delicious, satisfyingly creamy lemon chicken pasta is a fantastic easy weeknight dinner choice that can be done in just under 30 minutes! Although rich and creamy, this recipe uses a good mix of stock, heavy cream and parmesan cheese so that it does not taste too heavy.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Western
    Keyword: creamy lemon chicken pasta
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 565kcal
    Author: Genevieve

    Ingredients

    • 500 g / 1 pound chicken breasts ~ 2 large
    • 300 g / 11 ounces dried pasta fettuccine, linguine or any shape
    • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

    Creamy lemon sauce

    • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
    • 1 onion
    • 3 cloves garlic
    • 1 tablespoon plain flour
    • 1 cup chicken stock or veg stock
    • ½ cup heavy cream NOT light cream (note 1)
    • ½ cup parmesan cheese + extra to serve, freshly grated (note 2)
    • juice of half lemon ~1 tablespoon + zest
    • 3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
    • salt and pepper
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Slice chicken breasts in half horizontally. Season with salt and pepper.
    • Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large frying pan (or a shallow cast iron casserole dish). Sear chicken breast slices on high heat until golden. About 2 minutes per side. Set aside.
    • Cook pasta according to packet instructions. Remember to season the pasta cooking water with salt generously. Whilst the pasta is cooking, make the creamy lemon sauce.

    To make the creamy lemon sauce

    • In the same frying pan, soften onions and garlic with butter on low heat. About 4 minutes.
    • Mix in flour until a thick paste is formed. Pour in half of the stock, mix well with a wooden spatula then repeat for the remaining half of the stock.
    • Mix in heavy cream and parmesan cheese. Finally, add in lemon juice, the zest of half a lemon and leaves of fresh thyme. Mix, taste and season with salt and pepper.

    Bringing it all together

    • Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces then adds it into the creamy lemon sauce with all the juices. Simmer on low heat for ~2 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked (if it wasn't from searing). (note 3)
    • By now, the pasta should be cooked. Drain, then add it into the creamy chicken sauce. Toss well then serve with extra parmesan cheese.

    Notes

    1. Heavy cream (thickened cream) - although I have not tried it for this recipe, I would advise against using light cream! The high-fat content in this creamy alfredo sauce is what prevents the sauce from curdling once lemon juice is added.
    2. Freshly grated cheese - where possible, buy cheese in blocks and grate at home yourself. Cheaper and freshly grated cheese always taste better! More importantly, freshly grated parmesan cheese melts extremely well as it does not include anti-caking agents (that store-bought grated cheese has).
    3. Avoid overcooking chicken - simmer cooked chicken in the alfredo sauce for no longer than 2 minutes. Overcooked chicken toughens up and becomes harder to chew (no matter how creamy the sauce is!)
    Tried this recipe?Mention @Casuallypeckish or tag #casuallypeckish!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 565kcal | Carbohydrates: 51.4g | Protein: 42.6g | Fat: 20.8g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 181mg | Potassium: 115mg | Sugar: 1.5g | Iron: 3mg

    More Pasta Recipes

    • close up of chilli prawn pasta
      Chilli Garlic Prawn Pasta
    • sausage pasta on a white plate
      Spicy Sausage Pasta
    • Close up of creamy pasta bake
      Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pasta Bake
    • A tray of creamy pasta bake
      Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    A profile image of Gen, the author and owner of casually peckish

    Hi, I'm Gen!

    Welcome! I hope to inspire you to try something new, learn and ignite the joy of creating something yum in your own kitchen.

    Learn more about me →

    Popular recipes

    • Noodle stir fry in a black pan
      Beef Noodle Stir Fry
    • Delicious, simple and healthy garlic prawn pasta
      Easy Garlic Prawn Pasta
    • Plateful of pork wontons
      Pork Wontons
    • Close up fillets of baked salmon
      Baked Honey Glazed Salmon
    • Close up plate full of yoghurt naan bread brushed with butter and fresh coriander
      No Yeast Naan Bread (with yoghurt)
    • Close up of clear bone soup with corn, skiitake mushrooms, carrots and white radish
      Chinese Pork Bone Soup (Bone Broth)

    Winter Warmers

    • Close up of vibrant bok choy vegetables in soup in a pot
      Bok Choy Soup
    • Close up of creamy pasta bake
      Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pasta Bake
    • Hot noodles being picked up by a pair of chopsticks
      Soy Sauce Pan Fried Noodles
    • Close up of smooth pumpkin soup drizzled with cream
      Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Casually Peckish
    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2023 Casually Peckish