Quick Lemon Butter Chicken Pasta

As the weather warms up, I crave lighter recipes like grilled chicken and fresh veggies.

With 4 kids, grilled chicken and fresh veggies can get mundane and boring so I try to shake things up a bit with it comes to lighter dinner options. This is a recipe I’ve made dozens of times over the years, and it can be made a lot of different ways!

Sometimes I sub out the chicken for shrimp, sometimes I add diced red onions, sometimes I use orzo instead of bowtie pasta…and sometimes I skip the pasta altogether.

This recipe is quick and light, one that won’t feel like a rock in your belly for the rest of the night. This recipe is also great for lunch leftovers or to use in your weekly meal prep. You can also enjoy this recipe cold.

Bookmark this recipe and keep it on hand, especially as the weather continues to improve and fresh veggies are more in season.

Let me know if you make it! Enjoy!

Quick Lemon Butter Chicken Pasta

PREP TIME: 15 minutes
COOK TIME: 15-20 minutes
CLEANUP: Moderate
KID-FRIENDLY: Yes

INGREDIENTS:

• ½ – 1 pound of bowtie pasta
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic, divided
• 1 container of cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
• 2 ears of corn, or one can of corn; drained
• 2 zucchini, cut into moon shapes
• 8 oz. (1 package) fresh mozzarella pearls
• 2-3 large chicken breasts
• ½ cup flour
• sea salt and ground pepper
• 1 lemon
• fresh basil

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Boil water to make the bowtie pasta according to the package, when finished drain and set aside
2. While pasta is cooking, prepare chicken by cutting it in half, so it’s nice and thin.
3. Season chicken generously with sea salt and ground pepper on both sides until well coated
4. In a shallow mixing bowl, dredge chicken in flour and set aside
5. In a large cast iron skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of butter and ½ teaspoon of minced garlic until fragrant
6. Pan fry the chicken on both sides until it reaches an internal temperature of 160°. When cooked and browned, remove from skillet and set aside. Cover with aluminum foil to keep warm
7. Prepare fresh vegetables by cutting up the zucchini in small half moon shapes, cutting the tomatoes in half and if using fresh corn, remove cooked corn from cobs. Keep all of the veggies in separate bowls, as they require different cook times
8. In a large skillet or wok, melt 2 more tablespoons of butter and the other ½ teaspoon of garlic
9. Toss in zucchini and cook for about 1-2 minutes, push to the side of the pan
10. Toss in corn and cook for another 1-2 minutes, push to the side of the pan
11. Toss in tomatoes and cook for another 1-2 minutes, push to the side of the pan
12. Add more butter here if the pan is drying out and veggies are burning, when cooked for about 5 minutes or so, remove from heat and put in large salad bowl
13. Add cooked bowtie pasta and mix well
14. Add fresh mozzarella pearls and mix well
15. Squeeze the juice from one full lemon all over the pasta and mix until well coated
16. Add freshly chopped basil and season with additional sea salt and pepper, if desired
17. Plate the pasta and add thinly cut chicken on top, Enjoy!

Hint: This meal is great after it’s cooled for a bit. Yummy and so refreshing!