Lemon Chicken Pasta with Spinach

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

1. 1

   Pat the chicken breast fillet dry and cut it into strips about 1 cm wide. Season with salt and black pepper. Prepare the onion, garlic and parsley, then zest and juice the lemon.

   300 g Chicken breast filletto taste Saltto taste Black pepper1 small, finely diced Onion2 cloves, finely chopped Garlic1, zest and 2 tbsp juice Lemon2 tbsp, chopped Parsley
2. 2

   Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water until just shy of al dente, about 1 minute less than the package directions state. Reserve about 150 ml of the cooking water, then drain the pasta.

   180 g Penne or fusillito taste Salt
3. 3

   Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Fry the chicken strips over medium-high to high heat for 3–4 minutes, until golden brown on the outside and fully cooked through. Remove from the pan.

   300 g Chicken breast fillet2 tbsp Olive oil
4. 4

   Fry the onion in the pan juices for 2 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and fry for 30 seconds, until fragrant but not browned.

   1 small, finely diced Onion2 cloves, finely chopped Garlic¼ tsp, optional Chilli flakes
5. 5

   Stir in the chicken stock, heavy cream, lemon zest and lemon juice, and simmer gently for 3 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. It should be lightly creamy but still pourable.

   150 ml Heavy cream1, zest and 2 tbsp juice Lemon100 ml Chicken stockto taste Saltto taste Black pepper
6. 6

   Return the pasta and chicken to the pan. Fold in the spinach a handful at a time and let it wilt for 1–2 minutes. If the sauce is too thick, stir in a little of the reserved pasta water.

   180 g Penne or fusilli300 g Chicken breast fillet100 g Baby spinach
7. 7

   Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Parmesan. Leave to rest briefly so the sauce can thicken, then sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

   40 g, finely grated Parmesan2 tbsp, chopped Parsley

Origin & History

Creamy pasta with poultry and a lemon-herb sauce is a modern, practical combination of classic Italian pasta techniques and ingredients from international cuisine. The pairing of Parmesan, lemon, garlic and leafy greens follows the Italian principle of using a few ingredients to create balanced, full flavor.