I love pasta, and there is no reason that you can’t enjoy carbs in a way that is nutritious and healthful. This creamy lemon chicken pasta is full of protein, amino acids, folate, antioxidants, and vitamins A, B12, C and K. This cooks in less than half an hour. It's another fast and easy meal for busy weekdays!
This healthy lemon chicken pasta includes chopped asparagus, which adds an earthy note to the flavor of the dish, and a beautiful green element to the bowl. If you are unsure about asparagus, you have probably never had it prepared the right way. Give this recipe a chance to make it your new favorite veggie.
Why You'll Love This Lemon Chicken Pasta
- Serve Up Something New – I love this recipe because it combines a few well-loved ingredients in our home, but presents them in a fresh way. It is a quick and simple pasta dish with a few different-than-usual elements.
- Nutrient Dense – This pasta is full of healthy vitamins and minerals, plus it packs a protein punch from the asparagus and chicken.
Ingredients for this Asparagus Pasta Recipe
- Pasta – I find that, with the size of the chicken and asparagus, bowtie is the perfect type of pasta to use for this dish. You need one 10 oz box.
- Olive Oil – You just need a little olive oil to sauté your chicken.
- Chicken – This recipe works best with 2 large, boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
- Salt and Pepper – Regular table salt and pepper will work to season your chicken breast.
- Butter – You will need a little butter to cook your asparagus. I don’t recommend substituting oil, as butter really helps to mellow the flavor of the asparagus.
- Minced Garlic – This dish has a pretty strong garlic flavor, so we will need 1 ½ tablespoons of minced garlic.
- Asparagus – You need one pound of asparagus. Trim the tips and bottoms from the asparagus and chop it into bite-sized pieces.
- Heavy Cream – Don’t let this ingredient turn you off to this dish as a healthy dinner option. This recipe contains less heavy cream than most cream-based sauces. Also, full-fat dairy, like heavy cream, contains more vitamins than their lower fat counterparts.
- Lemon Juice – We couldn’t make lemon chicken pasta without lemon! I recommend using freshly squeezed juice for this dish. It should take a little less than one lemon.
- Cheese – I like to use equal parts shredded parmesan and shredded mozzarella for this dish. They each bring a slightly different element, and they go so well together.
- Fresh Thyme – You can use 2 tsp of fresh thyme, or ¼ tsp of dried thyme. If you opt for fresh herbs, you may want to pick up a little extra for presentation.
How to Make It
- Cook pasta according to box directions. Drain and set aside.
- Over medium-high heat sauté chicken breast in olive oil. Sprinkle with ¼ tsp salt and ⅛ tsp pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes, then set chicken aside.
- In the same pan, lower heat to medium, then cook garlic and asparagus in butter until asparagus starts to turn bright green. The asparagus should become tender.
- Whisk in cream, lemon juice, parmesan, mozzarella, remaining salt and pepper, and thyme. Simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Toss chicken and pasta in the pan until thoroughly coated.
- Garnish with fresh herbs, freshly grated parmesan, fresh lemon juice, or red pepper flakes as desired.
Step by Step Instructions
To start, cook your pasta according to the instructions on the box. Drain and set aside for later.
Next, heat your olive oil in a pan over medium-high. Add your chicken breast to the pan and season with ¼ tsp salt and ⅛ tsp pepper. Sautee for 4-5 minutes. Once your chicken is cooked, remove it from the pan and set it aside.
Now it is time to cook your asparagus. You can cook your asparagus right in the same pan you used for the chicken. First, turn your heat down to medium. Add your butter, garlic, and asparagus and cook until your asparagus turns bright green and fork tender.
Add your heavy cream, lemon juice, parmesan, mozzarella, the rest of your salt and pepper, and thyme to the pan. Whisk to combine, and allow your sauce to simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Add your chicken and pasta to the pan and toss to coat them with sauce. Serve warm with fresh herbs and parmesan!
Cook's Tips
- You can store your asparagus chicken pasta in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- For an extra boost of nutrition, try vegetable pasta, or whole wheat pasta.
- For perfect chicken, try not to touch it for about 1 minute at a time before flipping.
FAQ:
You want your asparagus to be small enough that you can easily get asparagus, chicken, and pasta on your fork at once. However, this is bigger than a dice. You want to make sure that you cut off the tips and ends first. It is easiest to cut asparagus at an angle. You can do a quick YouTube search if you need a demonstration.
This lemon chicken asparagus pasta is packed with vitamins and nutrients, making it a great choice for a healthy dinner. You can also make it even healthier by using veggie noodles or whole wheat pasta.
Lemon Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 10 oz dried bow tie pasta
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 large chicken breasts boneless/skinless
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 ½ Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 lb asparagus trimmed and chopped
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tsp fresh thyme – or – ¼ tsp dried thyme
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to box directions. Drain and set aside.
- Over medium-high heat sauté chicken breast in olive oil. Sprinkle with ¼ tsp salt and ⅛ tsp pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes, then set chicken aside.
- In the same pan, lower heat to medium, then cook garlic and asparagus in butter until asparagus starts to turn bright green. The asparagus should become tender.
- Whisk in cream, lemon juice, parmesan, mozzarella, remaining salt and pepper, and thyme. Simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Toss chicken and pasta in the pan until thoroughly coated. Garnish with fresh herbs and parmesan as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Leave a Reply