Cheesy Lemon-Chicken Pasta

Name: Cheesy Lemon-Chicken Pasta
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: ['4', '4 servings']
Cuisine: american
Ingredients: 1 (16 ounce) package linguine pasta; 1 cup frozen peas; 2 tablespoons butter; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 (8 ounce) package button mushrooms, sliced; 0.5 cup diced onion; 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks; kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste; 0.5 (8 ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese, cubed and softened; 0.25 cup fresh lemon juice; 2 teaspoons lemon zest; 0.5 cup grated Parmesan cheese; 0.25 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese; 0.25 cup chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

4.60 (38)

⏱ 35 mins 🍽 ['4', '4 servings'] 🌶 american 🏷 Main course

This family-friendly pasta dish combines tender chicken and linguine in a rich, creamy sauce. The sauce gets its distinctive flavour from a blend of Parmesan and Pecorino Romano cheeses, brightened with fresh lemon juice and zest. Mushrooms and peas add texture, while a splash of the reserved pasta water helps create a silky coating. It's a quick and satisfying meal perfect for a weeknight dinner.

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package linguine pasta
1 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (8 ounce) package button mushrooms, sliced
0.5 cup diced onion
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
0.5 (8 ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese, cubed and softened
0.25 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
0.5 cup grated Parmesan cheese
0.25 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
0.25 cup chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

Method

Place a large pot of lightly salted water on to boil. Cook the linguine for about 11 minutes until al dente, introducing the frozen peas for the final 2 minutes of the cook time. Drain the pasta and peas, keeping 1 cup of the starchy water aside.
As the pasta cooks, warm the butter and olive oil in a large skillet. Cook the sliced mushrooms and diced onion until the mushrooms have browned, which should take 5 to 7 minutes.
Season the chicken chunks with salt and pepper. In the same skillet, cook the chicken until it is browned and cooked through, approximately 7 to 10 minutes. Return the mushrooms to the pan. Add the cubed cream cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest, stirring until the cheese has fully melted. Take the skillet off the heat.
Gently mix in the grated Parmesan and Pecorino Romano cheeses, followed by the chopped parsley. Combine this sauce with the drained pasta and peas, using the saved pasta water as needed to achieve a loose, saucy consistency.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories830 kcal

Fat28 g

Sugars8 g

Protein52 g

Sodium478 mg

Recipe details

CategoryMain course

Cuisineamerican

AuthorCooking44