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Lemon Basil Chicken Pasta in 30 Minutes

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The creamy, buttery, citrus and herbal taste of the lemon basil sauce is perfect for the summer season. Sweet cherry tomatoes add a burst of delight and compliment the Mediterranean flavors. Light and flavorful, this lemon basil chicken pasta is sure to transport you to the Italian coastline. Which is probably why I love it so much! 

If you’re looking for flavors of the Mediterranean, then you have to try this lemon basil chicken pasta recipe.

Lemon Basil Chicken Pasta in 30 Minutes

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This is one of my favorite recipes to make, as I absolutely love being inspired by Mediterranean food! I love the brightness and tang lemon brings to any dish.

Pairing lemon with basil is also the perfect marriage, as it is such a refreshing combination.

Is Lemon Basil Chicken Pasta Good For You?

As mentioned above, lemon and basil complement each other so well. The bright citrus notes of lemon blend perfectly with the sweet and slightly peppery flavor of basil. However, taste is not the only benefit of these two blended ingredients! 

Lemon and basil are both rich in antioxidants. Lemons particularly contain vitamin C, which is a potent antioxidant that helps protect your cells from damage caused by free radicals. 

Lemon Basil Chicken Pasta in 30 Minutes Pinterest image

Both lemon and basil can also aid in digestion.

Lemon juice helps stimulate the production of digestive juices, which in turn helps breakdown food and improve your body’s ability to absorb nutrients.

Likewise, basil has been traditionally used to relieve digestive issues like bloating and indigestion. 

Need to de-stress?

Well, the aroma of lemon and basil can have a mood-lifting effect. Lemon has a fresh and invigorating scent, while basil has a calming aroma. The combination of these scents together may just help reduce your stress levels and lift your spirits. 

So for these reasons– eat the lemon basil chicken pasta! 

How to Make Lemon Basil Chicken Pasta 

I love the simple ingredients used in this recipe. Not to mention all the flavors really shine in this delicious pasta.

The best part is, it only takes 30 minutes to pull together! 

Chicken and pasta on a plate.

Ingredients

  • 3 Chicken Breasts (trimmed and filleted) 
  • 1 Tbsp Olive Oil for the Pan
  • 1 Large Lemon (half squeezed equating to approx. ½ cup lemon juice) 
  • 2 Tbsp Fresh Basil Paste 
  • ¼ White Wine Vinegar 
  • 1 Stick Salted Butter 
  • 3-4 Tbsp flour (or more as needed for thickening)
  • 1 Cup Halved Cherry Tomatoes
  • 1 Tsp Paprika 
  • Salt 
  • Pepper 
  • 2 Cups Chicken Stock
  • Homemade Spinach Fettuccini (or pasta noodle of choice)

Directions

Step 1. Wash, trim and filet your chicken. I like to first trim any fat off the chicken, and then filet them into halves. Salt and pepper the filets and then place them in an olive oil drizzled skillet. 

Step 2. Cook the chicken over medium-low heat, browning each side. Once the chicken is mostly cooked through, you can use tongs to place them on a plate and set aside. 

Step 3. In a small glass bowl, mix together the fresh basil paste and ½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice using a whisk. Then add in the paprika and mix well. 

Step 4. In your skillet, place one stick of salted butter in the pan to melt over low heat. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of flour until the butter and flour merges creating a thick paste (be careful not to burn). 

Step 5. Immediately, start pouring in the chicken stock ½ cup at a time, stirring with the whisk to thicken. Turn heat up to medium to bring to a slow boil after you’ve added 1 cup of chicken stock. 

Step 6. Add in your basil and lemon juice mixture to the skillet with the thickened chicken stock. Whisk well to full combine. 

Step 7. Pour in the white wine vinegar, and add 1 cup of sweet cherry tomatoes to the skillet as well. 

Adding cherries to sauce.

Step 8. Add in the slices of the remaining lemon, and then place the chicken filets back into the skillet. 

Lemon basil chicken with sauce in a skillet.

Step 9. Cover the skillet and turn to low heat to let all the flavors simmer together. 

Step 10. While the chicken and sauce is simmering, fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a boil. 

Step 11. Sprinkle in a dash of salt into the boiling water, then add your spinach fettuccine or pasta noodle of choice. Cook according to the package instructions. 

Fettuccini with drizzled oil.

Step 12. When the noodles are done, drain them, and toss with a light coat of olive oil. 

Step 13. Plate some fettuccine, followed by a chicken filet and sauce, and serve! 

Lemon basil chicken fettuccini

Recipe Note

The tomatoes in the sauce cook down when the sauce is simmering. This may lead to a more watery sauce. To cream up your sauce a bit more, use a bulb baster to pull out some sauce and place in a small liquid measuring cup. Add a Tsp of flour and whisk together and add the mixture back into the sauce and turn up the heat. Stir while heating to see if the sauce thickens. Repeat this step to build your desired sauce consistency.

Chicken lemon basil pasta

Free Recipe Card

Chicken lemon basil pasta

Lemon Basil Chicken Pasta

Yield: 8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

The creamy texture and buttery, citrus herbal taste of the lemon basil sauce is perfect for the season. The sweet cherry tomatoes add a burst of delight and compliment the Mediterranean flavors. This light, and flavorful lemon basil chicken pasta is sure to transport you to the Italian coastline.

Ingredients

  • 3 Chicken Breasts (trimmed and filleted) 
  • 1 Tbsp Olive Oil for the Pan
  • 1 Large Lemon (half squeezed equating to approx. ½ cup lemon juice) 
  • 2 Tbsp Fresh Basil Paste 
  • ¼ White Wine Vinegar 
  • 1 Stick Salted Butter 
  • 3-4 Tbsp flour (or more as needed for thickening)
  • 1 Cup Halved Cherry Tomatoes
  • 1 Tsp Paprika 
  • Salt 
  • Pepper 
  • 2 Cups Chicken Stock
  • Homemade Spinach Fettuccini (or pasta noodle of choice)

Instructions

    1. Wash, trim and filet your chicken. Salt and pepper the filets and then place them in an olive oil drizzled skillet.
    2. Cook the chicken over medium-low heat, browning each side. Remove to a clean plate and set aside.
    3. In a small glass bowl, mix together the fresh basil paste and ½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice using a whisk. Then add in the paprika and mix well.
    4. In your skillet, melt butter in the pan over low heat. Whisk in 3 tbsp of flour until the butter to thicken.
    5. Pour in the chicken stock ½ cup at a time, stirring with the whisk to thicken. Turn heat to medium during this.
    6. Add in your basil and lemon juice mixture to the skillet with the thickened chicken stock. Whisk well to full combine.
    7. Pour in the white wine vinegar, and then halve, and add 1 cup of sweet cherry tomatoes to the skillet as well.
    8. Add in the slices of the remaining lemon, and then place the chicken filets back into the skillet.
    9. Cover the skillet and turn to low heat to let all the flavors simmer together.
    10. While the chicken and sauce is simmering, fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a boil.
    11. Sprinkle in a dash of salt into the boiling water, then add your spinach fettuccine or pasta noodle of choice. Cook according to the package instructions.
    12. When the noodles are done, drain them, and toss with a light coat of olive oil.
    13. Plate some fettuccine, followed by a chicken filet and sauce, and serve!

Substitutions and Additions 

Want to give this recipe a twist? Feel free to switch up the protein.

If you love seafood, I’d suggest pairing this with pan seared or grilled shrimp! Smothered in the delicious buttery lemon basil sauce, shrimp makes such a great substitute.

You could also try serving alongside grilled Atlantic salmon! 

If you’re strictly vegetarian, you could swap the chicken for some grilled mushrooms, which could be just as tasty!

Likewise, if you have a gluten intolerance, you could swap the use of flour for thickener with a gluten-free thickener such as cornstarch or arrowroot powder. Then swap in some gluten-free pasta.

Storing leftover Lemon Basil Chicken Pasta

I typically store my leftover lemon basil chicken pasta combined into re-heatable individual servings.

Chicken pasta dinner recipe

I place some noodles, chicken and sauce into a glass airtight container and place in the refrigerator to reheat for lunch the next day. However, you could also opt to store the noodles separately, giving the sauce and chicken its own container.

The pasta will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. If any longer than 3 days, the food should be discarded.

More Dinner Recipe Ideas

I really hope you enjoyed this recipe! I’d love to know if you tried the spinach fettuccini or if you used a different pasta noodle!

If you’re looking for more filling and flavorful dishes like this one, be sure to check out these next: 

You can also visit my recipe archives here.

Thanks for stopping by the blog today!

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~Sarah

3 Comments

  1. Not gonna lie, it took me more than 30 minutes 🙂 But the outcome was truly amazing! The chicken is enhanced with a delectable flavor thanks to the addition of basil.

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