Garlic Butter Chicken & Pea Pasta (Printable)

Tender chicken, sweet peas, and curly pasta in a rich garlic butter sauce. Quick, comforting, and perfect for family dinners.

# Components:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
02 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
03 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
04 - 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs

→ Pasta and Vegetables

05 - 12 ounces curly pasta such as fusilli or rotini
06 - 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
07 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Garlic Butter Sauce

08 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
09 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
10 - 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
11 - 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
12 - Zest of 1 lemon
13 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
14 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
15 - Salt and pepper to taste

# Method:

01 - Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain in a colander.
02 - While pasta cooks, season chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and dried Italian herbs.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and cooked through. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
04 - Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the same skillet. Once melted, add minced garlic and red pepper flakes; sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant but not browned.
05 - Add thawed peas and return chicken to the skillet. Stir to warm through, approximately 1 minute.
06 - Add cooked pasta, Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the skillet. Toss everything together, adding reserved pasta water gradually until the sauce lightly coats the pasta.
07 - Remove from heat and stir in fresh parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
08 - Transfer to serving dishes immediately and garnish with additional Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in the time it takes to boil pasta, making it perfect for busy weeknights.
  • The garlic butter sauce clings to every curl of pasta, delivering flavor in every bite.
  • Kids actually eat the peas without complaint when they are mixed in like this.
  • You only need one skillet and one pot, so cleanup is blissfully simple.
02 -
  • Do not skip reserving the pasta water; it is the secret to a sauce that clings instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Let the chicken get a real sear before moving it around; that golden crust adds so much flavor.
  • Add the garlic after reducing the heat or it will burn and turn bitter in seconds.
  • Toss everything together off the heat so the Parmesan melts into the sauce instead of clumping.
03 -
  • Use a microplane to zest the lemon directly over the skillet so you catch every bit of fragrant oil.
  • If your skillet is not large enough, toss the pasta and chicken in the empty pasta pot instead to avoid crowding.
  • For extra garlic flavor, add one more clove than you think you need; it mellows beautifully in the butter.
  • Finish with a drizzle of good olive oil right before serving for a restaurant quality sheen.
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