Trust me, you’re going to want to put this 30 minute meal on repeat. It’s creamy… it’s buttery… it’s smooth and silky… The Sauce… THE SAUCE IS THE KING HERE… Those were the very first words on GypsyPlate, from our first recipe, Creamy Lemon Chicken. So, for our final recipe ever in our old kitchen, the one where GypsyPlate was born, we wanted to bring things full circle. I’ve always been a huge fan of the original dish. As Alpana mentioned in that post, I’ve said that I could drink the sauce from my wine glass. And since I love pasta, this twist seemed perfect.
Ingredients
Pasta – Just about any shape will work here. Alpana likes the way rigatoni photographs, so that’s what we used. It’s also great with long shapes like linguine or fettuccine. Chicken – I always use boneless, skinless thighs in my pasta dishes. They come out juicy and tender, without risk of drying out. Salt, pepper and paprika – To season the chicken before cooking. Butter – For sautéing the chicken, and it also adds great flavor to the sauce. Garlic – I use quite a bit in this recipe, it really enhances the dish. Chicken stock or broth – Better than Bouillon is my go-to. Heavy whipping cream – I said this pasta is easy and delicious, I never said low-cal! Thyme – This time I used dried because I didn’t have fresh on hand. If you do have fresh, use 1 tablespoon in place of 1 teaspoon dried. Lemon juice – Freshly squeezed, please. Parmesan cheese – Again, freshly shredded. The pre-shredded stuff doesn’t melt as well. Spinach – For a little veggie component.
Step-by-Step Instructions
First I get the pasta boiling in salted water, about 1 tablespoon of salt per gallon of water. When it’s al dente (it will cook more in the sauce), I drain it and keep it aside. While that’s boiling, I cut the chicken into bite-sized chunks, season it with salt, pepper and paprika, then sauté it in butter until it’s cooked through. This takes about 10-12 minutes. Next I add in the garlic and cook it for about a minute. Then I add the chicken broth, cream, thyme and lemon juice. I bring it up to a simmer, then stir in the cheese. Once the cheese is melted and well incorporated into the sauce, I stir in the spinach and cooked pasta. I continue cooking for 3-4 minutes until the spinach is wilted. That’s it, dinner is ready!
Variations
This pasta dish is really great on its own, but I can see some other veggies going in here as well. Think broccoli, peas or mushrooms. Try replacing the chicken broth with white wine. Add it in on its own after the garlic, then reduce it for a few minutes before adding the cream. How about adding sausage or shrimp? That would be excellent! I hope you love this creamy lemon chicken pasta as much as I do. It’s a worthy last recipe from our original kitchen. And stay tuned, the other night we cooked our first recipe in the new kitchen, and it was amazing! If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment, we love to hear from you. And be sure to stay in the loop by subscribing to our newsletter or following us on Pinterest.
Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
More Creamy Pasta Recipes:Marry Me Chicken PastaPasta alla NorcinaGigi Hadid PastaEspagueti VerdeCreamy Salmon PastaJambalaya PastaRasta Pasta
