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Chicken zucchini pasta in a white bowl. Lemons, parsley, and a kitchen cloth in the background.
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5 from 4 votes

Chicken zucchini pasta with creamy lemon garlic sauce

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Author: Aleksandra

Ingredients

  • 6 oz pasta fusilli or penne, 170g
  • 2 small chicken breasts 11 oz/300g
  • 1 small zucchini/courgette 9 oz/250g
  • 1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence French or Italian seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons frying oil
  • 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream 30-36%
  • 1/4 cup vegetable/chicken broth OR 1/4 teaspoon crushed bouillon cubes + 1/4 cup pasta cooking water
  • 1 teaspoon flour
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice or to taste
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Cook the pasta al dente (the pasta should be slightly firm when bitten). If you're using pasta cooking water instead of the broth, remember to reserve 1/4 cup of the water.
  • Cut the chicken into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes, season with Herbes de Provence, salt and pepper. Cut the zucchini into 1/4-inch (1/2 cm) slices or half-slices.
  • Heat the oil in a large frying pan over high heat, add the chicken pieces. Don't stir for the first 2 minutes (letting the chicken brown), then cook for 2 more minutes, stirring from time to time, until the chicken is golden and almost completely cooked. Transfer to a plate.
  • Add the zucchini to the pan and cook it just like chicken. At first, do not stir for about 2-3 minutes, letting it brown, then stir and cook for another minute, the zucchini should still be slightly firm and not entirely cooked.
  • Move zucchini to the side of the pan, reduce the heat to low, and add finely chopped garlic. Cook for another 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
  • Add the flour and stir until it's combined with garlic and zucchini.
  • Add the cream and broth (or 1/4 teaspoon of crushed bouillon cubes + 1/4 cup pasta cooking water). Add the chicken back to the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes over medium heat, until the sauce is slightly thickened. Take the pan off the heat.
  • Stir everything together, season with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.
  • Enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • Ingredient substitutions:
    • pasta - you can use any other type of medium-sized pasta in this recipe, for example, penne or macaroni
    • chicken - you can also use chicken thighs, turkey breast or just omit the meat and add more vegetables to make it vegetarian
    • zucchini - instead of zucchini you could add broccoli or green beans (steamed or par-boiled)
    • herbs - I used store-bought French spice mix (Herbes de Provence), but you could also use Italian seasoning or just mixed herbs like basil, thyme, or rosemary
    • cream - you can add 1/2 cup heavy cream + 1/2 broth to make it lighter, but I find it tastes best, made as written
  • Calories: 1 serving = 1/2 of the recipe. This is only an estimate!
  • Cooking times provided in the recipe, may be different for you, as it depends on the stovetop type, type of pan, or heat used.
  • Storage / how to make it ahead: Store the cooked pasta in the fridge for up to 2 days. It can be easily reheated the next day but the pasta will absorb part of the sauce, will be mushy, and no longer al dente (won't have a pleasant bite to it) = it will be very soft. It would be best to keep the sauce (with chicken and zucchini) and pasta separately and combine just before serving. If you want to make it ahead you can cook the chicken, zucchini, and sauce, store it in the fridge and cook the pasta just before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 803kcal