One-Pan Creamy Lemon Pasta with Chicken and Asparagus
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
Looking for a quick and easy dinner that’s full of bright, fresh flavors and destined to satisfy? This amazingly delicious One-Pan Creamy Lemon Pasta with Chicken and Asparagus has got you covered! It’s perfectly filling and I love that it is basically a meal all in one with carbs, protein, and veggies!
Creamy Lemon Pasta with Chicken and Asparagus
This is a dish that your whole family can agree on and you’ll be happy with the fact that you have two fewer pans to clean since the sauce and pasta cooks easily in the same pan with a quick drain.
The ingredients are a match made in heaven. Asparagus and lemon go so well together, each perfectly complimenting the other so you can’t go wrong by adding the two to chicken and pasta – especially when you’re going to be adding in Neufchatel cheese and a toss with parmesan cheese!
You can experiment with your herbs and spices, like onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, oregano, thyme, and dill. If you want a little spice, you can also add some red pepper flakes—YUM.
I love the fact that this was so easy yet so flavorful and delicious. And of course, I’m always a fan of creamy pasta, especially when it doesn’t have 2 cups of heavy cream and a stick of butter.
Don’t get me wrong I absolutely love butter and cream but I generally save those extra calories for dessert, plus I’m not a big fan of heavy pastas.
This lemon cream sauce isn’t heavy and it even reheats well (unlike those fat-heavy chicken pasta recipes that curdle up and separate into a greasy mess when reheated). Store your leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days and enjoy them for lunch! Try it out soon, I hope you love this lemon chicken pasta recipe enough that it makes it to your dinner rotation!
Follow Easy Cooking Zone
One-Pan Creamy Lemon Pasta with Chicken and Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into 1-inch cubes
- 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 (14.5 oz) can low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 10 oz penne pasta
- 1 lb thin stalks asparagus, tough ends trimmed, remaining diced into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 4 oz Neufchatel cheese (1/3 less fat cream cheese), diced into eight pieces
- 1/2 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a 12-inch saute pan over medium-high heat. .
- Add chicken, season with salt and pepper to taste and cook until golden brown on bottom, about 4 minutes then rotate and cook until cooked through, about 4 minutes longer. Transfer to a sheet of foil and wrap to keep warm, set aside
- Melt butter in now empty skillet, add garlic and saute 20 seconds then and broth and water, while stirring to loosen any browned bites from bottom of pan.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil, then add pasta. Cover and allow to boil until fairly tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 - 9 minutes.
- Sprinkle asparagus over top (don't stir), cover and allow to boil 4 - 5 minutes longer until asparagus and pasta are tender (note that there should be some broth/water left even once it's finished cooking, this will be part of the sauce. If needed you can add more broth).
- Add in Neufchatel cheese, parmesan cheese, lemon juice and lemon zest and stir until melted. Stir in chicken.
- Remove from heat, cover and let rest a few minutes if desired to allow sauce to thicken slightly and soak into pasta. Sprinkle with parsley if desired, serve warm.