Lemon Garlic Chicken with Creamy Pasta

Jeff the Chef

This Lemon Garlic Chicken with Creamy Pasta recipe is easy enough for everyday cooking, but good enough to serve to friends.

Lemon Garlic Chicken with Pasta
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Lemon Garlic Chicken with Pasta

Recipe by Make It Like a Man!Course: Dinner
Makes

4

servings

Ingredients

  • 2 large chicken breasts

  • 1½ Tbs olive oil

  • 1½ Tbs bacon fat

  • Salt and pepper, to taste

  • 2 cups chicken stock

  • 8 oz. (1/2 box) penne

  • Zest of 1 lemon

  • 1½ tsp oregano

  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder

  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or less, to taste)

  • 1/4-cup shredded Parmesan

  • 1 tsp chopped parsley

Directions

  • Open the windows and set your house’s thermostat to “fan.” Pat chicken all over with paper towels in order to get it dry. Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet to almost screeching hot, 4 minutes on moderately high heat (setting 4 out of 9). Add oil and fat; swirl it around. Season the chicken and lay it into the pan. Cover with a spatter guard and allow to cook for 7 minutes. Use tongs to test the chicken, to see if it easily releases from the pan. If it doesn’t, check it at 1-minute intervals until it does. Once the chicken easily releases from the pan and has developed a deep, golden crust, flip it. Replace the spatter guard and repeat the same process, 6 minutes.
  • Pour chicken stock into the pan. Add penne, 1/2 of the zest, oregano, garlic powder, and red pepper. Stir to evenly distribute the contents of the pan. At 1-minute intervals, check the chicken; remove the breasts from the pan as they reach 160°F or desired temperature.
  • Once the chicken is out of the pan, stir the pan’s contents thoroughly. Use a soup spoon to ladle a small taste of the sauce into a (preferably heavy ceramic) coffee cup. Swirl the sauce in the cup – which will quickly cool the sauce down to a more-tasteable temperature – and drink it. Adjust seasoning as desired. Test the pasta for doneness. If it’s not done, cover and cook for 2-4 minutes. Repeat this step until the pasta is done.
  • As soon as the pasta is nearly al dente, if there’s a lot of liquid in the pan, raise the heat to its highest setting to boil the liquid down until it’s thick and there’s not that much of it. Pour in 1/2 cup cream. Cook until the sauce is hot and thickened. Correct seasoning. Off heat. Slice or shred the chicken and add it back to the pan. Add Parmesan. Add remaining zest. Stir. Sprinkle with parsley.

Notes

  • Substitute olive oil or butter for the bacon fat.
"Lemon Garlic Chicken with Creamy Pasta," from Make It Like a Man!

This dish is so delicious, that I amazed myself when I created it. I could eat this all day. It’s beautifully lemony, garlicky and 1/4-teaspoon of red peppper gives it a noticeable background spice (which you can reduce if you prefer). The pasta, cooked in this way, takes on a umami quality that pairs with the chicken in such a satisfying way. As delicious as it is though, you could add all sorts of things: spinach, mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, and/or capers.

"Lemon Garlic Chicken with Creamy Pasta," from Make It Like a Man!

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Lemon Garlic Chicken with Creamy Pasta

Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man! unless otherwise credited. This content was not solicited by anyone, nor was it written in exchange for anything. Thank you, Kesor. References: NYT, Pinch and Swirl. Make It Like a Man! is ranked by Feedspot as #13 in the Top 30 Men’s Cooking Blogs.

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38 thoughts on “Lemon Garlic Chicken with Creamy Pasta”

  2. I will definitely be trying this very soon. It looks and sounds so delicious. Thank you for sharing this!

    Reply

  4. Another winning entree. And I’ve mentioned before that I’m a fan of your unexpected but excellent advice, such as this: Open the windows and set your house’s thermostat to “fan.”

    Reply

    • Hahah! Thank you. Those are the things that people never tell you!

      Reply

  5. You can never go wrong with lemon garlic when paired with chicken and pasta. Such a tasty combination!

    Reply

  7. I just love a one-pot meal, particularly the way the pasta cooks in it! Definitely getting this on the menu plan. You’ve hit another home run, my friend.

    Reply

  8. I love how you include instructions for the house fan in the recipe – perfection there. Speaking of perfection, I love creamy pasta dishes. The lemony chicken in this one sounds fantastic – I’m craving this now, and it’s only 7:45am here.

    Reply

  9. Jeff, I love the simplicity of your dish. A few good ingredients and you have a dish you can enjoy during the week, or served up to friends with a bottle of wine.

    Velva

    Reply

  10. Wow, the chicken alone is all I need, but I’ll certainly take the pasta, too. Love the process for browning the chicken, and in bacon fat no less! I’m so in. 🙂 ~Valentina

    Reply

  12. I’m into all things pasta at the moment here Jeff. We’re experiencing a rare heatwave in Scotland so I like nice and simple meals at the moment what with the unexpected heat. Lemon and garlic and chicken all together. Yum!

    Reply

  14. I love that you used bacon fat—a delicious boost of flavor! I’ve had the fire department come on a few occasions when we had a smoke detector instead of a heat detector. My kids thought it was hilarious!!! I’d prefer that it never happens again and appreciate your tips 🙂

    Reply

  17. I know pasta and chicken is not a common (to say the least!) Italian combination, but I’m guilty myself – it’s one of my favourite. Especially when garlic and lemon get involved, who can resist, right?

    Reply

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