Mains | Pasta

Lemon Pepper Chicken Alfredo

This Lemon Pepper Chicken Alfredo is exactly the kind of pasta I want when I’m craving something really comforting and super satisfying. Spaghetti gets tossed in a silky, buttery lemon Parmesan sauce, then golden lemon pepper chicken is sliced and served right on top. It’s rich without feeling too heavy, perfectly savoury, and honestly one of those dinners I could make over and over again.

The Alfredo sauce comes together in the same pan you cook the chicken in, which means all those browned bits add so much flavour and depth to the sauce. Starchy pasta water and cold butter come together like magic to create a glossy, creamy base, then the pasta finishes cooking right in it before everything gets finished with fresh Parmesan and lemon zest. Chicken and lemon zest might not be part of a traditional Alfredo, but the sauce itself comes together the authentic way (without a drop of cream).

I love the lemon here because it keeps the sauce bright and balances out all that butter and Parmesan without taking away from how comforting the dish is. The lemon pepper chicken goes so well with the creamy sauce, and a little extra black pepper, Parmesan, and lemon zest on top brings everything together. It’s cozy, satisfying, and really just such a good bowl of pasta.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe:

Creamy without cream: Pasta water, butter, and Parmesan do all the work here and give you a really creamy sauce.
Lots of lemon: The zest keeps the sauce bright and works so well with the lemon pepper chicken.
Peak comfort food: It has everything you want from a creamy pasta without feeling overly rich.
Weeknight-friendly: The ingredient list is short, the prep is simple, and it comes together pretty quickly.

Prep for Lemon Pepper Chicken Alfredo:

Zest the lemon.
Finely grate the Parmesan—I like using a microplane for this.
Remove the chicken breasts from the fridge a few minutes before cooking and pat them very dry with paper towel.
Cut the butter into small cubes and keep it chilled in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.

How to Make Lemon Pepper Chicken Alfredo:

Step One:

Pat the chicken breasts dry and season both sides with the lemon pepper seasoning and salt. Skip the salt if your seasoning already has salt in it—you can always add more later.

Step Two:

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and sear for 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F. Reduce the heat to low if it looks like the chicken is browning too quickly so that the pepper doesn’t burn. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest, slicing just before serving.

Step Three:

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just shy of al dente. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water.

Step Four:

Pour the reserved pasta water directly into the pan used to cook the chicken, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Bring to a gentle simmer.

Step Five:

Reduce the heat to low. Add the cold butter a few cubes at a time, stirring continuously and allowing each addition to emulsify into the pasta water before adding more. At this point, the sauce will still be fairly thin but will continue to thicken as the pasta finishes cooking.

Step Six:

Add the pasta directly to the pan. Toss continuously for 1-2 minutes, allowing the pasta to finish cooking and the sauce to thicken slightly.

Step Seven:

Remove the pan from the heat. Add the lemon zest and Parmesan, then toss quickly until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth and glossy.

Step Eight:

Serve the pasta into bowls with the sliced chicken on top. Finish with some Parmesan, freshly cracked black pepper, and more lemon zest, if you’d like.

Substitutions for Lemon Pepper Chicken Alfredo:

Chicken breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs will work too. Just be sure they reach an internal temperature of 165°F before serving.

Lemon pepper seasoning: Use your favourite store-bought blend, or make your own with freshly cracked black pepper, lemon zest, garlic powder, and a little salt. If using store-bought, check if it includes salt before adding more.

Spaghetti or fettuccine: Linguine, bucatini, tagliatelle, or another long pasta will work perfectly here.

Parmesan: Fresh, finely grated Parmesan is really important for getting the smoothest sauce. I don’t recommend using pre-grated parm for this recipe.

How to Store any Leftovers:

Store leftover chicken and pasta in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

This sauce will thicken quite a bit once chilled, so reheat the pasta gently in a skillet over low heat with a splash of water to loosen everything back up. Toss frequently until warmed through. The texture may not be quite as smooth as the original, but it will still be tasty.

Reheat the chicken with a little olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, or in the air fryer if you want to crisp it up a bit.

There’s seriously nothing more comforting to me than alfredo pasta. Tag me on social if you try it out, @britacooks! xx

@britacooks

Mains | Pasta

Lemon Pepper Chicken Alfredo

Silky, buttery pasta topped with golden lemon pepper chicken.

Prep Time :5

Cook Time :20

Serves: 2

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Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Lemon pepper seasoning to taste
Salt as needed
½ lb spaghetti or fettuccine (+ 1 cup reserved pasta water)
4 tbsp unsalted butter
Zest from 1 lemon
½ cup finely grated Parmesan
Garnish: black pepper, grated Parmesan, and lemon zest

Instructions

Pat the chicken breasts dry and season both sides with the lemon pepper seasoning and salt. Skip the salt if your seasoning already has salt in it—you can always add more later.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and sear for 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F. Reduce the heat to low if it looks like the chicken is browning too quickly so that the pepper doesn’t burn. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest, slicing just before serving.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just shy of al dente. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water.
Pour the reserved pasta water directly into the pan used to cook the chicken, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Bring to a gentle simmer.
Reduce the heat to low. Add the cold butter a few cubes at a time, stirring continuously and allowing each addition to emulsify into the pasta water before adding more. At this point, the sauce will still be fairly thin but will continue to thicken as the pasta finishes cooking.
Add the pasta directly to the pan. Toss continuously for 1-2 minutes, allowing the pasta to finish cooking and the sauce to thicken slightly.
Remove the pan from the heat. Add the lemon zest and Parmesan, then toss quickly until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth and glossy.
Serve the pasta into bowls with the sliced chicken on top. Finish with some Parmesan, freshly cracked black pepper, and more lemon zest, if you’d like.