Go Back

Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta

Garlic butter chicken pasta with spaghetti tossed in a glossy garlic-butter sauce and golden chicken strips. Finished with lemon juice, Parmesan curls, and fresh parsley for a rich, weeknight-ready Italian-American dinner.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 760
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

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

Equipment

  • 1 large skillet

Method
 

Sear the chicken
  1. Season the chicken strips with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes per side until golden and cooked through, then remove to a plate.
Build the garlic butter sauce
  1. Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and the garlic turns golden at the edges.
  2. Stir in fresh lemon juice. Add the cooked spaghetti and toss, then add reserved pasta water a splash at a time until every strand is coated and glossy.
Finish and serve
  1. Add the seared chicken strips on top and toss lightly to distribute. Sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan and chopped fresh parsley generously over the pasta.
  2. Serve immediately while the garlic butter sauce is glistening. Finish with any extra parsley if desired.

Notes

For the silkiest sauce, reserve pasta water and add it gradually until the spaghetti looks glossy rather than dry. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. Freezing is not recommended because the butter sauce can separate. For a lighter option, use 3 tbsp butter and replace the rest with olive oil (or a plant-based butter) while keeping the lemon juice and Parmesan.