Lemon Basil Pasta with Chicken
Enjoy a yummy pasta dish that’s light on carbs and full of chicken and broccoli! This recipe for lemon basil pasta with chicken has the perfect ratio of all the ingredients, providing your family a pasta dinner where the pasta doesn’t dominate the meal!
This dish does have a strong lemon flavor, but since the recipe calls for lemon zest, the flavor is pronounced without making the dish sour. Even better, this recipe comes together so all of the ingredients are combined into a single pot—making cleanup super easy.
If you don’t have bow tie pasta stored in your pantry, don’t fret! This recipe calls for bow tie pasta for their simple presentation. Any pasta will do—even linguine!
Make lemon basil pasta with chicken using einkorn flour!
Lemon Basil Pasta with Chicken Recipe
Lemon basil pasta with chicken is the perfect meal to eat outside on the patio this summer! You’ve got your veggies, pasta and protein all in one bowl!
Ingredients
Yield: 6 -8 servings
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- salt and pepper
- 3/4 tsp dried basil
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 lb bowtie pasta
- 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 zest of lemon
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Fill a large pot half full of water then bring to a boil over high heat. While you wait for the water to boil, season chicken breasts on both sides with salt, pepper and dried basil then set aside.
- When the water reaches a rolling boil, add a large pinch of salt then cook pasta according to directions—until it is tender but still firm. Roughly 2 minutes before the pasta is finished cooking, add broccoli florets to the pot, allowing them to boil with the pasta for the remaining cook time and before draining everything in a colander. After draining, return the pasta and broccoli to the pot to keep it warm.
- Place a skillet over medium heat then add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add chicken breasts then allow to cook until golden brown on both sides and cooked all the way through—about 8–10 minutes depending on thickness. When the chicken breasts are cooked through, transfer them to a plate and set aside to cool slightly.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low then add garlic to the oil that remains in the skillet. Cook for about 1 minute to soften the garlic slightly. Remove the skillet from heat then add lemon zest and juice. Using a rubber spatula, scrape any bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan then pour the sauce over the pasta and broccoli.
- Chop the slightly cooled chicken breasts into bite-sized chunks then add them to the pot—stirring gently to combine. Sprinkle the entire mixture with Parmesan cheese then stir gently once more to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper then serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
This dish has a strong lemon flavor. If lemon’s not your thing and you would like to tone it down a notch, leave the zest in but replace the lemon juice with chicken broth. This will give it just a slight hint of lemon.
Calories: 367kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 52mg, Sodium: 331mg, Potassium: 75mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g
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