The Best Lemon Chicken Pasta Recipe! Bucatini and chicken are tossed in a creamy lemon sauce that is cheesy, delicious and secretly healthy!
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We are absolutely obsessed with dinners that are easy to make, yet absolutely delicious and that’s exactly what our Lemon Chicken Pasta is all about.
This dish has the bright, fresh taste of lemons, warm chicken, peppery arugula, and wholesome pasta. So, if you want a meal that’s quick to prepare, good for your body, and delicious, this is the one to try.
If you like this recipe, you may also love Creamy Lemon Pasta Sauce or our Healthy Lemon Artichoke Chicken.
You’ll love this Lemon Chicken Pasta Recipe
There is a lot to love about this easy lemon chicken and pasta recipe. It’s one of our favorite healthy dinners because it’s:
- Incredible Flavors: This recipe combines the zesty freshness of lemon juice/zest with the richness of Parmesan cheese, creating a dinner that’s both tangy and creamy.
- Quick and Easy Preparation: With only a few simple steps, this recipe is perfect for busy weeknights, making it a go to option for those seeking convenient and hassle free meals.
- Healthy and Balanced: The inclusion of chicken breasts, fresh arugula, and wholesome pasta makes this dish a nutritious choice, suitable for those looking to maintain a balanced diet.
Lemon Chicken Pasta Ingredients
For this Chicken Lemon Pasta you’ll need:
- avocado oil
- chicken breasts
- salt, pepper
- garlic, onion
- lemon juice, lemon zest
- parmesan cheese
- pasta water
- arugula
- bucatini pasta
- fresh parsley
You can find substitutions for all of these ingredients below in the green shaded box.
How to make Chicken Lemon Pasta
- In a pan, heat avocado oil until it just begins to shimmer. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Sear chicken for 6-8 minutes over medium high heat. Flip and sear for an additional 5-6 minutes- or until the chicken is golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- Add a tablespoon of avocado oil to the same pan you seared the chicken in. Heat oil, and add in minced onion. Sauté until fragrant and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- While onion/garlic cook, cook pasta according to the package directions. Important: reserve ½ cup of starchy pasta water before draining.
- Once garlic is cooked, shut off the heat. Add lemon juice, lemon zest and Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine.
- Add cooked pasta and toss to combine again. Stir in pasta water and arugula.
- Slice chicken and add to the pasta or slice and plate on top of the pasta. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Substitutions for Chicken and Lemon Pasta
Olive Oil: You can substitute avocado oil, butter, or ghee. Avocado oil is best for searing the chicken because it has a very high smoke point
Chicken Breasts: You can substitute with boneless chicken thighs or chicken tenders.
Fresh Parsley: Fresh parsley really makes a difference in this recipe. If you don’t have fresh, you can use 1 teaspoon of dried parsley but it will not be as flavorful. Basil would work well in place of fresh parsley.
To Make it Lower Carb: We haven’t tried this recipe with zucchini noodles but I think it would be good. Skip the pasta water, and make sure to really wring out the zucchini noodles with paper towels so they aren’t soggy!
Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated parmesan cheese works best in pasta sauces. Pre-shredded cheese usually has alot of additives that prevent it from melting well.
Arugula: You can sub arugula with spinach, but we prefer arugula!
Pasta: Any noodle will work here. Linguine, angel hair, or fettuccine would all be delicious!
To Make it Lower Calorie: You can spray olive oil in the pan instead of pouring the olive oil in the pan but you might not get as good of a sear on the chicken!
What goes well with lemon chicken and pasta?
This Chicken Pasta is delicious paired with these side dishes:
- Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing or Kale Quinoa Salad
- Crusty Baguette or Artisan Bread
- Lemon Parmesan Roasted Asparagus
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan
- A Glass of White Wine
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Lemon Pasta with Chicken FAQs
This lemon sauce is made of onion, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, and Parmesan cheese.
Chicken is a great protein to pair with pasta!
To make lemon pasta less bitter, use only the lemon zest (avoiding the pith), and be sure to combine it with the parmesan cheese to cut the bitterness.
Storing Lemon Garlic Chicken Pasta
This pasta is best eaten fresh. The sauce can separate if refrigerated and reheated, and while it will still taste good, it will have a slightly different texture.
Storing: This will last in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Freezing: We don’t recommend freezing pasta. It can get very mushy when reheated
Reheating: You can reheat this recipe in the microwave or on the stove. If reheating in the stove, add a little bit of oil to the pan. You can also add some chicken broth if the pasta seems dry.
Other healthy dinner recipes:
Looking for other easy meals? Check out these 40+ Healthy Dinner Recipes. Click here to grab our free healthy 30 minute dinners cookbook.
Lemon Chicken and Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil divided (can sub olive oil)
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts butterflied and pounded thin
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic 3 small garlic cloves
- ½ cup onion diced
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest zest of 2-3 lemons
- ⅓ cup lemon juice juice of 2-2 lemons
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ lb uncooked bucatini pasta
- ½ cup pasta water
- 3 cups arugula
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- In a pan, heat avocado oil until it just begins to shimmer (about 2 minutes).
- Season chicken with ¼ teaspoon pepper and salt.
- Sear seasoned chicken for 6-8 minutes over medium high heat. Flip and sear for an additional 5-6 minutes- or until the chicken is golden brown. (Avocado oil is best for searing chicken because of it’s high smoke point)
- While the chicken is cooking, chop garlic and onion.
- Once chicken is browned, remove from the pan and set aside.
- Bring a separate small pot of water to a boil for your pasta.
- While the water boils, add an additional tablespoon of avocado oil to the same pan you seared the chicken in. The brown bits in the pan will add more flavor to the sauce- no need to clean the pan! Heat oil, and add in minced onion. Sauté until fragrant and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in garlic and sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- While onion/garlic cook, cook pasta according to package directions. Important: while pasta is cooking, reserve ½ cup of starchy pasta water before draining.
- Once garlic is cooked, shut off the heat. Add lemon juice, lemon zest and Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine.
- Add cooked pasta and toss to combine again. Stir in pasta water and arugula.
- Slice chicken and add to the pasta or slice and plate on top of the pasta. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Kendra Scott says
I can’t wait to try this recipe, Thank you.
Danielle Ludovico says
The recipe was easy and delicious. Big hit with my picky family. Thank you!
Kellie S. says
A hit with the entire family, and super easy to make. It’s also delicious reheated, a couple of days later!