One Pot Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta

One Pot Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta is a quick and easy meal that's not heavy at all. It's ready in just 30 minutes and perfect for busy nights!

The Hubs is probably the biggest chicken Alfredo lover I know. He's even been know to have the leftovers for breakfast! Personally, I love red sauce on pasta, so that's what I usually make. I just think it's healthier, although I sometimes compromise and make creamy tomato sauce, instead.

And sometimes, I'll break down and make pasta with white sauce just to keep the peace around here. So the other day, the Hubs asked if I would make a one-pot chicken Alfredo, and I agreed. But instead of the traditional version, with a heavy sauce, I decided to keep this chicken pasta dish on the lighter side.

It's still creamy, but it's definitely not heavy -- I'll save that for cooler weather. This lighter, summerized (is that even a word?) version has lemon, a little bit of Parmesan and some broccoli so you get a one-dish meal with pasta and veggies too!

How to Make One Pot Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta

Recipe

One Pot Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta

Published by Dee

A lighter alternative to Chicken Alfredo, this one pot creamy lemon chicken pasta is ready in 30 minutes and very family friendly

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main

Cuisine American

Servings 6 to 8 servings

Calories 578 kcal

Ingredients

  

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• 1 ½ pounds chicken tenders cubed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon garlic
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 2 ½ cups water
• 2 cups mini penne pasta
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 ½ cups heavy cream
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• Cooked bacon bits and fresh parsley optional

Instructions

 

• In a large pot or skillet, brown the chicken in olive oil, and season with salt and pepper
• Add the garlic and saute until soft
• Add the lemon juice
• Add the water and mini penne, turn heat to high, cover and cook until pasta is slightly soft
• Stir in the broccoli
• Add the cream and Parmesan cheese, reduce heat to medium, and cook until pasta is done
• Top with cooked bacon and parsley if desired

Nutrition information is estimated. Please do your own calculation to fit special diets.

Nutrition

Calories: 578kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 37gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 168mgSodium: 814mgPotassium: 664mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1240IUVitamin C: 29.2mgCalcium: 257mgIron: 1.3mg

Tried this recipe? Please comment and rate it! Show me your dish on Instagram!Mention @meatloafandmelodrama or tag #meatloafandmelodrama!

I also couldn't resist adding some parsley and a few pieces of cooked bacon at the end. The parsley gives the pasta a little extra freshness, and the bacon -- well, it's bacon! And, everything's better with bacon, right? I should add that I usually have have cooked bacon leftover from the weekend, and it's handy for adding some to recipes whenever I want to. It's optional here, so if you don't have any, don't worry about it.

There are a few lemon slices in there, as well. The recipe itself calls for lemon juice, but the lemon slices add some additional flavor and a nice pop of color.

I've said it before, but we really do eat first with our eyes. My kids always laugh when I say this, but even though this is quick one dish meal, I still want it to look appealing -- know what I mean? 

I think this dish definitely looks appealing, but even better, it tastes good too!

My family gave this easy one pot creamy lemon chicken pasta dish a collective thumbs up, and even the Hubs was happy with it. It's perfect for busy weeknights or even weekends, when you want an easy meal with easy clean-up.

But, don't just take our word for it -- I hope you'll try it yourself. And if you do, be sure to let me know what you think!

Happy cooking!

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