This refreshing, hearty lemon chicken pasta is overflowing with fresh herbs and zesty flavor. The chicken breast and pasta are tossed in an enticing lemon herb sauce made with extra virgin olive oil, fresh parsley, and lemon juice and zest. The olive oil-based sauce keeps this pasta dish light and refreshing—perfect for summer or any time!
This parsley lemon chicken pasta is super easy and takes only 30 minutes to make. It a great choice for dinner any night of the week. If you happen to have some leftover chicken, this recipe will be even easier. Scroll down to see how you can make this deliciously zesty parsley lemon chicken pasta!
Ingredients
- 2 Chicken breast halves (1 lb. total)
- 1 lb. Thin spaghetti pasta
- 1 1/2 cups Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 Garlic clove
- 2 tsp Dried oregano OR 2 Tbsp fresh oregano
- 1/2 tsp Red pepper flakes
- 1/2 Lemon
- 1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp Salt
- 3/4 tsp Pepper
Instructions
The first step in making the parsley lemon chicken pasta is to cook the chicken breasts. Season the chicken breast halves with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Then, you can either grill them as shown here, or pan-cook them.
To grill the chicken breasts, preheat the grill to about 450º F and then place the chicken breast halves on the grill. Cover the grill and cook for 20 minutes, turning the cutlets over once halfway through. Fully cooked chicken breast will have an internal temperature of 170º F. Once the chicken is fully cooked, remove it from the grill and let it rest for 5 minutes.
If pan-cooking the chicken breasts, first slice each half half-way across to make it thinner. This will ensure that the inside of the chicken breast gets fully cooked without overcooking the outside. Preheat a lightly greased pan on medium heat and place the chicken breasts in the pan. Cook for 12 minutes. Turn the breasts over. Cook for an additional 12 minutes, until the chicken is golden-brown and cooked through.
Once the chicken is cooked, cut it into bite-sized pieces. Add them to the pasta.
While the chicken is cooking, start cooking the pasta by boiling 1 gallon of water in a large pot. Be sure to add salt to the water. I cooked thin spaghetti, but you can use any pasta you like! Cook the pasta according to the package instructions and drain. Once drained, add the noodles back into the pot.
To make the lemon herb sauce, finely chop 1-1/2 cups of flat-leaf parsley and put it in a bowl. To the bowl, add minced garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Then add the zest and juice of half a lemon and the extra virgin olive oil.
Once all the ingredients are in, stir to mix and the simple yet delicious sauce is done!
Add the zesty lemon-herb sauce and bite-sized chicken pieces to the pot of cooked pasta. Gently toss them together and the parsley lemon chicken pasta is ready. Garnish the dish with lemon slices and parsley leaves for extra color and flavor. Enjoy!
If you like this Zesty Parsley Lemon Chicken Pasta, you might also like Favorite Pesto Chicken and Gnocchi or Chimichurri Steak Lettuce Wrap. Also, subscribe via email or follow on Instagram to get the latest updates on all my recipes!
Zesty Parsley Lemon Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 Chicken breast halves 1 lb
- 1 lb Thin spaghetti pasta
- 1½ cups Flat-leaf parsley chopped
- 1 clove Garlic minced
- 2 tsp Dried oregano or 2 Tbsp Fresh oregano
- ½ tsp Red pepper flakes
- ½ Lemon more for garnish
- ½ cup Extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ tsp Salt
- ¾ tsp Pepper
Instructions
- Season chicken breast halves with ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper.
- To grill the chicken: place the chicken breast on a ~450º F preheated grill and cook for 10 minutes on each side. Fully cooked chicken will have an internal temperature of 170° F. Allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes.~OR~To pan-cook the chicken: slice the chicken breast halves half-way across to make them thinner. Preheat the lightly greased pan on medium heat and cook the chicken for 12 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
- Cut the cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Bring 1 gallon of water to a boil in a large pot. Add salt. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain and add the noodles back into the pot.
- Make the lemon-herb sauce by mixing extra virgin olive oil, chopped parsley, minced garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, 1 tsp salt, and ½ tsp pepper. Then add the zest and juice of half a lemon.
- Add the chicken and lemon-herb sauce to the pasta and gently toss to mix. Garnish with lemon slices and parsley, if desired.
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