Lemon Parmesan Pasta
This Lemon Parmesan Pasta is bright, refreshing and uses simple, fresh ingredients. Tender pasta is tossed in a creamy sauce that has flavors of fresh lemon juice and zest, garlic, and basil. Every bite is filled with delicious refreshing flavors that melt in your mouth. Pair this pasta with crispy parmesan lemon chicken for a meal your whole family will love.
With summer right around the corner, I am ready for all of the fresh, bright flavors. This Lemon Parmesan Pasta has become my new go-to weeknight meal. It’s simple fresh ingredients, and silky smooth sauce is just delicious. It’s honestly the perfect meal for spring and summer and I guarantee we will be eating it on repeat all summer long.
This meal comes together quickly. The sauce only takes a few minutes to simmer and thicken, and the chicken takes just 8 minutes to pan fry. Now, if you are feeling ambitious, and have some time, you can make homemade pasta (i highly recommend trying it at least once!). Perhaps that would be a good weekend project/weekend meal if you decide to make your own pasta.
I did make this meal with my own homemade pasta and decided to make the pasta a fun spiral/twirl shape. Homemade pasta only requires three pantry staple ingredients, and it is surprisingly easy to make. However, it can be time consuming, rolling out the individual pieces of pasta. So, I don’t recommend making your own pasta if you are short on time.
Okay, back to this meal. This Lemon Parmesan Pasta is similar to Pasta al Limone. However, this recipe uses heavy cream to make the sauce a bit richer and creamier. Traditional Pasta al Limone does not use heavy cream, and it does not have garlic, or fresh herbs in it. I wanted to add a bit of fresh seasonal herbs into this dish, so I added basil and parsley, as well as fresh garlic.
This meal will be perfect for warm spring and summer nights, and to enjoy over the weekends when you feel like making homemade pasta.
Here’s what you will love about this Lemon Parmesan Pasta
- Easy to make – truly! The creamy lemon pasta sauce only takes a few minutes to simmer on the stovetop and thicken before tossing in the pasta. You can enjoy this lemon pasta recipe with or without chicken.
- Versatile – if you want a lighter version, you can skip the heavy cream. Double the amount of parmesan cheese from 1/2 cup to 1 cup. Otherwise, leave all the other measurements the same for the sauce. Adding the extra cheese will add extra richness and flavor.
- Perfect for spring and summer – the bright flavors of lemon and use of fresh ingredients truly make this dish a delicious addition to spring and summer dinner tables. It’s great for warm summery nights.
- Fun to make – I love dishes that are simple enough to pull together, yet taste like you spent hours making them. This Lemon Parmesan Pasta is just that. It is easy to make, yet it is bursting with flavor that makes you feel as if you are eating at a high end restaurant. If you choose to make your own pasta, this meal would be a fun meal to make with family or for a date night! I loved making food with my now husband when we were dating, go figure! Many of our dates involved us making some sort of meal together.
Here’s how to make this Lemon Parmesan Pasta
Make the crispy chicken
I like to make the crispy chicken first, because it takes longer to make than the pasta. First things first, set up your dredging stations.
set up your stations
Station one consists of flour and spices. I like to put this on a large plate or in a large shallow bowl.
Station two is the eggs, beaten.
Station three is the panko breadcrumbs mixed with the freshly grated parmesan cheese and lemon zest.
pound out the chicken
Before dredging the chicken, pound it out to 1/4 inch thickness. This helps to ensure that the chicken cooks more evenly and results in a more tender piece of chicken. I chose to use chicken thighs, because they have more flavor and are more moist. However, you can certainly use chicken breast.
dredge the chicken
Now, it’s time to dredge the chicken!
Dredge the chicken in the flour, flipping to evenly coat both sides. Next, dip the chicken in the egg, allowing excess to drip off. Finally dredge the chicken in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing the breadcrumbs into the chicken to ensure they stick and fully coat the chicken.
get ready to fry the chicken
In a large skillet, fill 1/4 to halfway full with olive oil, canola oil or vegetable oil. Heat over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 350F.
Before frying the chicken, set up a wire cooling rack with a few paper towels underneath. This is where you will place the chicken after frying, so that the excess oil can drip onto the paper towels.
fry the chicken
Fry the chicken for 4 minutes per side, or until the chicken’s internal temperature is 165F. Fry the chicken in batches, so that you don’t overcrowd the pan.
Make the Lemon Parmesan Pasta
This creamy lemon pasta sauce comes together in just a few minutes. You can use store-bought or make your own homemade pasta.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 2/3 cup pasta water then drain the pasta and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic once the butter has melted and cook for 30 seconds. Add in the lemon zest and juice and heavy cream. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes to thicken the sauce.
Add in the parmesan cheese and cooked pasta. Toss to combine until the pasta is evenly coated and the cheese is melted. Add in the fresh or dried basil and parsley.
Serve
Serve the pasta with the crispy chicken on top. Add extra freshly grated parmesan cheese, if desired.
Here are a few other recipes I think you would love!
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Lemon Parmesan Pasta
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This Lemon Parmesan Pasta is bright, refreshing and uses simple, fresh ingredients. Tender pasta is tossed in a creamy sauce that has flavors of fresh lemon juice and zest, garlic, and basil. Every bite is filled with delicious refreshing flavors that melt in your mouth. Pair this pasta with crispy parmesan lemon chicken for a meal your whole family will love.
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta (storebought or homemade)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- Juice of 2 lemons
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2/3 cup pasta water
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Freshly ground black pepper
Chicken
- 4 chicken thighs or 2 chicken breasts, cut in half horizontally
Station 1:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Station 2:
- 2 large eggs, beaten
Station 3:
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 3/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- Zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
MAKE THE CHICKEN
1. Make the chicken. Set up your dredge stations.
Station 1: On a large plate, or large, shallow bowl, add flour and spices (parsley, paprika, basil, onion and garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste). Mix to combine.
Station 2: In a large shallow bowl, add eggs, then lightly beat the eggs.
Station 3: On a large plate, or large, shallow bowl, add breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and zest of lemon. Mix to combine.
2. Place chicken thighs or chicken breast on a piece of plastic wrap, or parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap or parchment paper, then pound to ¼ inch thickness.
3. Dredge the chicken in the flour, flipping to coat both sides, then dip both sides in the beaten egg, allowing the excess to drip off. Finally, dredge the chicken in the breadcrumb mixture, flipping to coat both sides. Use your hands to press the breadcrumbs into the chicken to adhere the breadcrumbs over the entire surface of the chicken.
4. Before heating up the oil, Place a few paper towels underneath a wire cooling rakc. You will place the chicken on the wire cooling rack after frying. Heat up the oil. In a large skillet, add enough oil (you may use olive oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil) to fill the pan ¼ to ½ full. Heat over medium-high heat until the oil reaches a temperature of 350F. Fry the chicken, working in batches so that you don’t overcrowd the pan, frying for 4 minutes per side, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F.
MAKE THE PASTA
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 2/3 cup of pasta water, then drain pasta and set aside. Drizzle pasta with olive oil so that it doesn’t stick together while you make the sauce.
2. Make the sauce. In a large skillet, add butter and oil over medium heat. Allow butter to melt, then add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Add the juice and zest of lemons, then add the heavy cream and pasta water. Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce for 2-3 minutes to thicken it, stirring frequently. Add in the parmesan cheese and pasta. Mix to combine the pasta in the sauce and allow the cheese to melt. Remove from heat then stir in the fresh parsley and basil.
SERVE
1. Cut the crispy chicken into strips, then serve on top of the pasta. Add freshly grated parmesan cheese on top and enjoy!
Notes
- Pasta – making your own pasta is fun, and it only requires three pantry staple ingredients. It can take some extra time to make your own pasta, so I recommend trying this when you have a bit extra time or as a fun weekend project. You can get my homemade pasta recipe here.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Italian
