One-Pan Lemon Herb Pasta Chicken (Printable)

Tender chicken, penne, and fresh herbs in a bright lemon sauce. A complete Mediterranean meal made in one pan in under 40 minutes.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Protein

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb), cut into bite-sized pieces

→ Pasta

02 - 10 oz penne or fusilli pasta, uncooked

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

03 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
04 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
05 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
06 - 1 lemon, zest and juice
07 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
08 - 2 cups baby spinach

→ Herbs

09 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
10 - 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
11 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
12 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme

→ Liquids

13 - 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

→ Dairy

14 - 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

→ Seasoning

15 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 3-4 minutes until lightly browned but not fully cooked through. Remove to a plate and set aside.
02 - In the same pan, add the onion and garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant and translucent.
03 - Add pasta, chicken broth, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, and thyme. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
04 - Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
05 - Return the chicken to the pan, add cherry tomatoes, and cook uncovered for another 7-8 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente and most liquid is absorbed.
06 - Stir in spinach, parsley, basil, and Parmesan cheese. Cook for 1-2 minutes until spinach wilts and cheese melts.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice as desired.
08 - Serve hot, garnished with extra Parmesan and fresh herbs.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in one skillet, which means you're practically done before the dishes pile up.
  • The lemon keeps things light and fresh without feeling like you're depriving yourself of actual flavor.
  • Chicken stays tender because it's cooking in broth the whole time, not drying out in some hot pan.
  • You can prep ingredients while the pan heats, so dinner is genuinely ready in under 45 minutes.
02 -
  • Don't fully cook the chicken in step one because it keeps cooking once it goes back in the broth, and overcooked chicken ruins everything.
  • Uncooked pasta absorbs the broth and flavors directly instead of cooking separately, which is why this actually tastes better than pasta cooked in water and then mixed in.
  • If your pan doesn't have a lid, aluminum foil works, but do cover it because the pasta needs that steam to cook properly.
  • Parmesan is easier to grate fresh than to buy pre-shredded, and it melts smoothly instead of staying grainy.
03 -
  • Zest the lemon before cutting and juicing it because once you cut it, the zest is harder to extract.
  • If your Parmesan is cold from the fridge, it grates more easily than room temperature cheese.
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