What better way to celebrate spring than with a bright, fresh, lemon pasta dish? One of our favorite spring veggies—asparagus—takes center stage in this recipe, paired with tender chicken breasts and a simple creamy, lemony sauce. The entire dish comes together in 30 minutes, making this an easy weeknight dinner to upgrade your weekly rotation, or a dinner-party main to wow all your guests (with very little effort on your part).
While we think this is a perfect spring dinner, you can really enjoy this pasta all year round. If asparagus isn't at your local supermarket, feel free to swap it out for your favorite seasonal veggie! This dish is fairly hearty on its own, but serve it with some of our favorite side dishes for pasta (we're looking at you, sheet-pan panzanella, classic caesar salad, and garlic knots) to make this a complete, filling meal.
Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
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- Yields:
- 4 serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 30 mins
- Total Time:
- 30 mins
- Cal/Serv:
- 981
Ingredients
Kosher salt
- 1 lb.
linguine
- 1 tbsp.
extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lb.
boneless skinless chicken breasts
Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp.
Italian seasoning
- 2 tbsp.
butter
- 1
small red onion, chopped
- 1 lb.
asparagus, stalks trimmed, cut into thirds or quartered if large
- 3/4 c.
heavy cream
- 1/2 c.
low-sodium chicken broth
Juice of 1 lemon
- 3
cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 c.
shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 c.
freshly grated Parmesan
1 lemon, sliced into half-moons
Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish
Directions
- Step 1In a large pot of salted boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Reserve ¼ cup pasta water before draining. Return pasta to pot.
- Step 2Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add chicken and season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Cook until golden and no longer pink, 8 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate to rest for 10 minutes. Slice chicken into strips.
- Step 3In the same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and asparagus and season with salt and pepper. Cook until starting to soften, 5 minutes. Add cream, broth, lemon juice, and garlic and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Step 4Stir in cheeses and let cook until melted. Add lemon slices, cooked pasta, and reserved pasta water and toss until combined.
- Step 5Top with sliced chicken and garnish with parsley.
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