One-Pan Creamy Lemon Pasta with Chicken and Asparagus

I have been a huge fan of one-pan meals lately. They’re super easy to make and there’s less to clean up, it’s a win-win.

I found this next recipe on Cooking Classy, and I knew I had to give it a try. A nice, creamy pasta is my ultimate comfort food and the asparagus and lemon pair so well together. This meal tastes like it’s from an Italian restaurant. Here’s what you’ll need to recreate it:

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1 lb of chicken tenderloins 
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp minced garlic
15 oz of  low-sodium chicken broth
1 3/4 cups water
1 pound penne pasta
1 lb. thin stalks asparagus cut into small pieces
4 oz of 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1/2 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
2 tsp lemon zest
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Parsley for garnish (optional)

Drizzle olive oil in a large sauté pan and cook your chicken tenderloins until they’re a golden brown on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Be sure to season with salt and pepper as they cook.

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Once cooked, transfer the chicken to a sheet of foil. Wrap it up to keep warm while you cook the rest of the meal.

In your now empty skillet, melt your butter (I ended up using a little more butter, probably around 2 tablespoons.) Add your garlic and sauté for 20 seconds. Then add your water and chicken broth.

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After stirring your mixture, add your pasta, cover with a lid and bring to a boil. You want to make sure that you still have some sauce mixture left and that it doesn’t dry out. I added a few splashes of chicken broth as my pasta cooked to keep it moist. Stir occasionally. Boil for about 8-9 minutes.

Add your asparagus, do not stir. Cover and boil for an additional 4-5 minutes. Note there should still be broth/water left so if you need to do so, add more water or broth.

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Now, add your cream cheese, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Stir until melted.

Dice up your chicken and stir it into your pasta, cover and remove from heat. If you would like your sauce to thicken, let everything sit for a few minutes.

Serve warm.  *I removed my lemons before eating haha. But they did make the picture look nice.

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Have you ever made a one pan meal? What’s your favorite?

Thanks for reading!

XO- Samantha Leigh

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29 thoughts on “One-Pan Creamy Lemon Pasta with Chicken and Asparagus”

  3. Aldina El Halabi says:
    Reply

    Loved it, pinned it, and I hope you wouldnt mind I repost it once I put up some recipes on my own blog. Lemme know 🙂

    Love,
    Aldina

    P.S. Yes, huge fan of one pot meals. Even tho I love to cook, and often cook elaborate meals, sometimes one pot meals are lifesavers. Always on lookout for some!

    Like

  10. What Abby Says says:
    Reply

    This looks and sounds amazinggg! I dont like spending ages cooking so this one pan thing is ideal I’ll deffo be making this! X

    Like

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