That’s a full-on comfort plate—bright, garlicky chicken with rich, creamy pasta. Here’s a straightforward way to make it without overcomplicating things.
🍋🧄 Lemon Garlic Butter Chicken with Creamy Parmesan Pasta
🍗 For the Chicken
Ingredients:
- 2 chicken breasts (halved or pounded thin)
- Salt & black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika (optional)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp oil
- 3–4 cloves garlic (minced)
- Juice of 1 lemon 🍋
- 1/4 cup water or chicken broth
- Fresh parsley (optional)
Steps:
- Season chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Heat oil + 1 tbsp butter in a pan. Sear chicken 4–5 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, add remaining butter and garlic. Cook briefly (don’t burn it).
- Add lemon juice + water/broth, scrape the pan, and simmer 2–3 minutes.
- Return chicken, spoon sauce over it, and cook another 2 minutes.
🍝 Creamy Parmesan Pasta
Ingredients:
- 2 cups pasta (any type)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Salt & pepper
- 2–3 tbsp pasta water
Steps:
- Cook pasta in salted water. Save some pasta water before draining.
- In a pan, melt butter and sauté garlic.
- Add milk and simmer gently.
- Stir in parmesan until melted.
- Add pasta + a splash of pasta water for a silky sauce. Season to taste.
🍽️ To Serve
Plate the creamy pasta and top with the lemon garlic chicken. Spoon extra sauce over everything and finish with parsley if you have it.
💡 Tips
- No parmesan? Use any mild hard cheese or skip it for a lighter sauce.
- Want extra flavor? Add chili flakes 🌶️ or a little lemon zest.
- If sauce gets too thick, just loosen it with pasta water.
If you want, I can turn this into a one-pan version (less dishes) or a budget version with fewer ingredients.