This easy, flavorful pasta dish is a favorite of ours for a quick weeknight meal. It features tender strips of boneless chicken tossed with spaghetti, sweet tomatoes and a simple, light sauce flavored with garlic, onion and fresh lemon.
PrintLemon Garlic Spaghetti with Chicken
Tender, boneless chicken, sautéed garlic, onion, lemon juice and fresh tomatoes combine with thin spaghetti to makes a quick, easy weeknight dinner.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 3/4 to 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 10 ounces thin spaghetti
- 1/4 cup flour
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
- 4 to 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Zest of 1/2 lemon
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- Parmesan cheese for grating
Instructions
- If your chicken breasts have tenderloins attached, remove them and reserve for another use. Place the chicken breasts between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound gently to an even thickness of 1/2-inch, then slice them on the bias into 1/2-inch wide strips.
- Combine the flour, 1 teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of black pepper in a 1-quart food storage bag and add the chicken strips. Shake the bag to coat the chicken with the flour mixture and set aside.
- Cook and drain the pasta according to package directions. Drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil, toss and set aside.
- Add 2 additional tablespoons of olive oil to a large frying pan and place over medium-high heat. Add the butter and as soon as it begins to foam, begin adding the chicken, a few pieces at a time, shaking off the excess flour as you do.
- Sauté the chicken until it’s barely golden on the outside (it doesn’t need to be cooked through at this point), then transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Add the onion to the pan, reduce the heat to medium and sauté until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes longer (do not brown).
- Add the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a simmer. Return the chicken to the pan and cook, stirring often, until the broth has thickened slightly, about 2 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and continue cooking until softened, 2 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the lemon juice, zest and parsley. Cook 1 minute longer, then add the chicken mixture to the spaghetti and toss to combine.
- To serve, plate individual portions and top with grated Parmesan and a bit of freshly ground black pepper.
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