Garlic Butter Chicken & Pea Pasta (Printable)

Succulent chicken and fresh peas in silky garlic butter sauce with al dente pasta. Comfort in a bowl, ready in 35 minutes.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
02 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
03 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
04 - 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs

→ Pasta & Vegetables

05 - 12 ounces curly pasta such as fusilli or rotini
06 - 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
07 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Garlic Butter Sauce

08 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
09 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
10 - 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
11 - 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
12 - Zest of 1 lemon
13 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
14 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
15 - Salt and pepper to taste

# How To Make It:

01 - Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain and set aside.
02 - While pasta cooks, season chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and dried Italian herbs.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
04 - Reduce heat to medium. In the same skillet, add butter. Once melted, add minced garlic and red pepper flakes; sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant but not browned.
05 - Add peas to the skillet and return chicken to combine. Stir to warm through, approximately 1 minute.
06 - Add cooked pasta, Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the skillet. Toss all ingredients together, adding reserved pasta water gradually until the sauce lightly coats the pasta.
07 - Remove from heat and stir in fresh parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
08 - Transfer to serving dishes immediately. Garnish with extra Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything happens in one skillet while the pasta boils, meaning fewer dishes and more time to actually eat together
  • The lemon zest cuts through the richness so each bite feels balanced instead of heavy
02 -
  • Reserving pasta water is not optional here—the starch transforms melted butter into an actual sauce that clings to every curl of pasta
  • Garlic goes from fragrant to bitter in seconds, so have your peas and chicken ready before you add it to the butter
03 -
  • If the sauce breaks or looks greasy, whisk in another splash of pasta water off the heat and it'll come back together
  • Whole wheat pasta works beautifully here and adds a nutty flavor that pairs surprisingly well with the bright lemon
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