Lemon Butter Chicken Pasta

Meet your new favorite pasta combo. With tangy citrus and plenty of butter, this dish will quickly become one of your go-to weeknight meals. Here are a few things to remember that will help you knock this out in no time:

Switch it up

The best part about this recipe is how easy it is to customize and still end up with an amazing meal. Instead of spinach, try arugula, chopped swiss chard leaves, or even peas. Swap out the seared chicken for salmon, shrimp, or bay scallops. Try
shallots in place of red onion or throw in your favorite chopped herbs or cajun seasoning blend. The one thing that you may want to keep the same, is the angel hair pasta. It's perfect for catching the buttery, slightly thin sauce. Speaking of sauce…

Save the pasta water!

When your angel hair is ready, you might be tempted to dump the whole pot directly in the strainer. Before you do that, be sure to reserve at least one cup of the pasta water before draining the noodles. You'll use this later to help create enough velvety sauce to coat the pasta. If you find hot water a tad intimidating, try using a glass measuring cup with a handle to collect the pasta water.

Oil the angel hair

Angel hair can be particularly clump-prone if not properly prepped. Once you've reserved your pasta water and drained the rest, leave the noodles in the colander and toss with a drizzle of olive oil. This will keep them from clumping while you finish the dish.

Super thin lemons 

This recipe packs a citrus punch and that's one of the things we love about it. Be sure to slice the lemons as thinly as possible so that they cook quickly, caramelizing slightly with the onions and garlic. The cook time will tame some of their tartness and soften the rind enough to eat. If your lemons are on the larger side, try starting with half a lemon.

Storage 

Any leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight, resealable container for up to 5 days. 

This meal is already satisfying on its own but, you can also serve it with buttery, toasty garlic bread. If you're craving another citrusy and satisfying weeknight pasta, check out this Lemony Asparagus Pasta. 

Editor's Note: The introduction to this recipe was updated on March 31, 2022, to include more information about the dish.