Quick, garlicky and with just a handful of classic ingredients- here’s the garlic chicken pasta recipe of your dreams.
I’ve always been a fan of easy, one pan pasta meals. They’re super easy to make, need minimal kitchen equipment (which means less cleaning up afterwards) and are great for the rushed weekend lunches and dinners.
And that’s exactly why I make this garlic chicken pasta recipe often.
It has a super delicious, subtle garlicky flavor, and utilizes a bit of that chicken I have too.
How Can I Make it Healthier?
There’s actually a lot of potential to make this dish healthier, especially if you’ve been trying to be mindful about what you’re getting on your plate. The garlicky flavor of this pasta dish is pretty versatile, which means you can add in pretty much any veggie you prefer or have at hand. Here are a few of the best veggies you can add to this garlic chicken pasta to make it healthier.
- Broccoli
- Peas
- Kale
- Spinach
- Cherry tomatoes
- Bell peppers
- Mushrooms
- Olives
How to Store the Leftovers?
Storing leftover pasta is super easy. If you’re planning to make it in a big batch, just remember to keep the cooked pasta and the pasta sauce with the chicken in separate airtight containers to preserve their freshness.
Remember to allow both of these to cool down completely, and then transfer them to the airtight containers. These can then be refrigerated for up to 4 days, or frozen for up to 2 months.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Garlic Chicken Pasta
Ready to go ahead and try this garlic chicken pasta? Here are some tips and tricks to nail the recipe.
- After you’re done cooking the pasta, reserve some of the pasta water. You can now use this to make your sauce a bit thinner. Since some of the starch from the pasta leaches into the water, using this water for cooking will help your pasta sauce have that perfect light and smooth texture.
- Love the lemony flavor from the lemon juice? You can oomph that up even more by adding in some lemon zest.
- You can also use pre-cooked chicken for this recipe. Just stir in the bits of chicken towards the end instead of cooking it in the beginning.
- Want to make your pasta more creamy? Add in a little cream or replace the stock with some whole milk. You can also top the pasta with some grated Parmesan cheese.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
Done whipping up this garlic chicken pasta? Here are some serving ideas & suggestions.
- Team up any pasta dish with a nice crunchy side dish like some air fried cucumber or baked green beans.
- If you’re prepping a spread of Italian meals for your family, you can also try these English muffin pizzas.
- And of course, any pasta dish tastes amazing when paired with some crusty bread on the side.
- If you’re trying to keep things healthy, you can also serve the pasta with a salad filled with fresh greens and crunchy veggies.
Garlic Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 c chopped chicken
- 4 c farfalle pasta uncooked
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp white pepper
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the pasta according to package directions. When done, drain but do not rinse.
- Meanwhile, place the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Season the chicken with Italian seasoning, white pepper and salt.
- When the butter is melted and hot, add the garlic and saute for 1 minute.
- Add the chicken and cook for 8 minutes, until cooked through to an internal temperature of 165F.
- When the pasta is done cooking, stir the drained pasta into the skillet.
- Season with lemon juice and additional seasonings, to personal taste.
- Note: to prevent the garlic from burning, add more butter or even some chicken broth as needed. Alternatively, you can cook the seasoned chicken in butter and add in the garlic in the last 2 minutes of cooking if you aren't able to watch the skillet as closely. (It will just result in the garlic being less sweet.)
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