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Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta

Garlic butter chicken pasta with spaghetti tossed in a glossy garlic-butter sauce, golden chicken strips, and bright lemon. Cook chicken until golden, then simmer the garlic in butter before tossing with reserved pasta water for a silky coating.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 720
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
  • Salt to taste
  • pepper to taste
  • garlic powder to taste
  • Italian seasoning to taste
Pasta
  • 12 oz spaghetti, cooked (reserve 1 cup pasta water)
  • 1 cup pasta water reserved
Garlic butter sauce
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 6 tbsp butter
  • 8 garlic, minced
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
  • Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook the chicken
  1. Season the chicken strips with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook until golden and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes per side.
  2. Remove the seared chicken to a plate and set aside. Keep the skillet over medium-high while you prepare the garlic butter.
Make the garlic butter sauce and toss pasta
  1. Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium heat, then add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and golden at the edges.
  2. Add the fresh lemon juice and immediately toss the cooked spaghetti into the garlic butter sauce. Loosen the sauce with reserved pasta water, adding a splash at a time until every strand looks glossy and coated.
Finish and serve
  1. Add the seared chicken strips on top of the tossed pasta. Let the chicken warm for a moment in the sauce for best flavor.
  2. Sprinkle Parmesan and fresh parsley generously over the top. Serve immediately while the butter glistens on the spaghetti.

Notes

For the silkiest sauce, reserve pasta water while the spaghetti cooks—starchy water is what helps the butter cling to every strand. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. Freezing is not recommended because the sauce can separate when thawed. For a lighter take, use 4 tbsp butter instead of 6 and add an extra splash of pasta water to maintain the glossy coating.