Description
A quick and easy one-pot pasta dish infused with zesty lemon, fragrant garlic, and tender chicken, perfect for family dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 additional cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
- 1 lb dried pasta (penne, rotini, or fettuccine)
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 5 oz fresh baby spinach
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
- Red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the cubed chicken, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 3 minced garlic cloves, dried oregano, salt, pepper, and lemon zest. Toss everything well to coat and let it marinate for at least 15 minutes.
- Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the remaining olive oil. Add the marinated chicken and sear for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove the chicken and set it aside.
- In the same pot, add the butter and sauté the chopped onions for 3-4 minutes until translucent. Then, add the 4 additional minced garlic cloves and cook for another minute.
- Deglaze the pot by adding a splash of chicken broth and scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom. Pour in the rest of the chicken broth and heavy cream, stirring to combine. Bring it all to a gentle simmer.
- Add the dried pasta to the pot, stirring to ensure it’s well submerged, and cover your pot. Let it simmer on medium-low for 10-15 minutes until the pasta reaches al dente.
- Once the pasta is cooked to perfection, turn off the heat. Stir in the freshly squeezed lemon juice, Parmesan cheese, and baby spinach until the spinach wilts and the cheese melts into a creamy goodness.
- Finally, return the chicken to the pot and stir to combine everything. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Notes
For a creamier sauce, feel free to adjust the amount of heavy cream to your preference. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
Keywords: chicken pasta, one-pot meals, easy recipes