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Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta

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

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 0.5 tsp Salt
  • 0.5 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
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 cloves garlic, minced
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
  • 1 Fresh parsley, chopped For garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Sear 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 sear chicken for 4-5 minutes per side until golden and cooked through, then remove and set aside.
Make 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 golden at the edges.
Toss spaghetti
  1. Add fresh lemon juice to the skillet and toss the cooked spaghetti in the garlic butter sauce. Add reserved pasta water a splash at a time, tossing until every strand is coated and glossy.
Finish and serve
  1. Return the seared chicken strips to the pasta and top evenly. Sprinkle Parmesan and fresh parsley generously over the top and serve immediately.

Notes

For the glossiest pasta, reserve at least 1 cup of pasta water and add it gradually while tossing—start with a splash, then add more only as needed to coat. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. Freezing is not recommended for best texture. For a lower-fat swap, use reduced-fat butter and light Parmesan (flavor will be slightly less bold).