This Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta is made in just ONE pot! This easy pasta is fast, fabulous and packed with flavor! Loaded with chicken, basil, peas, and ready from prep to finish in 30 minutes or less, this chicken pasta is perfect for busy weeknight dinners!
Updated: This post was originally published in April 2017. I edited the photos and changed some of the written post below to include more information. Plus, I added a recipe video to show you how easy this is to make!
Hi, friends! Today we are going to completely skip all the small talk and get right down to the food. Mostly, because Mondays are a drag; I’m just not feeling all the wind-baggy nonsense. But also, because I don’t have anything witty to say.
So, today we are going to focus all our attention on pasta! Again! Because, I’m fairly certain oodles of delicious noodles are much cooler than reading my non-witty words.
In honor of a quick and painless post, we are also going to keep todays dish super fast. As well as, fantastically flavorful. And, made in just ONE POT.
Because, we are going to punch manic Monday right in the metaphorical face and WIN at life… or at least at dinner.
One Pot Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta with Basil & Peas
Also known as: easy-PEAsy pasta! See what I just did there?
Tender, succulent slices of chicken and silky strands of al-dente linguine tossed in a rich, creamy sauce with notes of lemon, pops of herbaceous basil and a generous sprinkling of vibrant sweet peas. This creamy pasta is kind of like chicken alfredo meets spring all in one pot.
It’s ludicrously creamy. It’s outrageously dreamy. But, it’s also lightened up since we are using half-and-half mixed with broth, instead of just straight heavy cream.
Oh, and did I already mention all this heavenly, healthier deliciousness happens in just one pot? JUST.ONE.POT!
And, if all that jazz wasn’t enough to make your skirt fly up, this pasta can be ready, from prep to finish, in 30 minutes or less!
Basically, this pasta is insane. And you absolutely need to get this in your life. PRONTO.
What is one pot pasta?
One pot pasta literally means, well, one pot pasta! 😉
There are a ton of variations to one pot, or one pan pasta, but they all share the same trait – cooking the pasta happens right IN the sauce. Meaning, no more boiling water and cooking pasta in one pot and making the sauce in another.
In a nutshell, one pot pasta is a genius, time (and effort) saving pasta cooking method and helps you get dinner on the table in a fraction of the time, and with a fraction of the mess!
How to cook one pot lemon pasta at home?
First you are going melt a smidgen of butter in a large deep sided skillet, or Dutch oven. (I personally like to use my Le Creuset 3 ½ quart cast-iron braiser for this dish. This isn’t an ad, I’m just telling the truth.)
Add in the slices of chicken and generously season with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken until it is golden brown on all sides, but not cooked completely through. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside. Don’t look at me sideways, you won’t be eating raw chicken! You will be adding the chicken back to the pot later. You are just browning the chicken right now for color. Because golden brown = DELICIOUS.
Add the shallots to the pot, followed by the garlic, and cook until softened and fragrant.
Add in the flour and cook, stirring, for a minute or so. You just want to cook out the raw flour taste.
Add in the chicken broth and half-and-half, whisking to combine.
Next, add back in the chicken, along with the pasta and a large sprig of basil.
Bring everything to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for about 8-10 minutes, or until the pasta is al-dente.
Remove the lid, toss in the peas with a bit of lemon zest and a few splashes of lemon juice. Let that cook for a minute, or until the peas are warmed through, and then stir in the parmesan and fresh chopped basil.
Taste the pasta and adjust everything for seasoning with salt and pepper.
Scatter a bit of crushed red pepper flakes on top if you’re feeling frisky.
And sprinkle on a handful of more parmesan cheese, because cheese is life.
Garnish with a few slices of lemon, because you’re fancy.
Then grab a shovel and INHALE.
Notes, Tips & Tricks for Easy Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta recipe:
- If you’re using frozen peas, make sure they are thawed. To quickly thaw frozen peas, simply place them in a colander and run them under cold water for a couple minutes.
- I highly recommend fresh grated parmesan for this (and any) recipe. That stuff in a green can not only tastes weird, but it also does not seamlessly melt into the pasta and become silky smooth like fresh grated parmesan does. Just make sure you use the smallest holes on your box grater for this.
- If you like your pasta with a little heat, add ½ – 1 teaspoon (or more!) of crushed red pepper flakes to the pan with the garlic.
- If you want a strong lemon flavor in this dish, use the zest and/or just of 2 lemons instead of one. Just a warning, the zest will yield a stronger lemon flavor than the juice.
- I strongly recommend you continue to season this dish with salt and pepper as you go. (i.e. season the chicken, then season the shallot, the half-and-half mixture, etc.) Pasta with creamy based sauces require a good amount of salt to really make all the flavors sing.
This easy One Pot Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta needs to grace your dinner table. It’s ridiculously delicious, absurdly easy, and I KNOW you’re going to LOVE it!
Until Thursday friends, cheers – to oodles of noodles all up in your face.
XOXO
Cheyanne
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More easy and delicious pasta recipes:
The best Creamy Lemon Pasta Recipe 👇
One Pot Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta with Basil and Peas
Equipment
- Large Straight-Sided Skillet or Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts sliced into 3/4-1'' wide strips
- 2 TBS Unsalted Butter divided
- 1 large Shallot finely diced
- 2 Cloves Garlic minced
- 1 TBS All Purpose Flour
- 2 Cups Chicken Broth
- 1 ½ Cups Half-and-Half
- 8 ounces Linguine broken in half
- 1 ¼ Cup Peas thawed if frozen*
- 1 bunch fresh Basil 1 large sprig left whole, the rest chiffonade (thinly sliced)
- 1 Lemon zest and juice
- ½ Cup Parmesan Cheese grated, plus more for serving
- Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
- Optional Garnishes: Lemon Slices, Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Instructions
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a Dutch oven, or large straight sided skillet, over medium high heat. Add the chicken and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook until golden brown on all sides, but not cooked through, about 4-6 minutes total. Remove chicken to a plate.
- Add in the remaining tablespoon of butter. Once melted, add in the shallot and season with salt and pepper. Cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add in the garlic* and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add in the flour and cook, stirring, for another minute. Add in the chicken broth and half-and-half. Whisk to combine. Add back in the chicken along with the pasta and a large sprig of basil. Bring to a slow boil, stirring occasionally, then immediately reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente. Remove the sprig of basil and discard.
- Add in the peas, lemon juice and zest. Cook for an additional minute. Stir in the parmesan and chopped basil. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Garnish with crushed red pepper flakes, more parmesan cheese, and slices of lemon if using. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- If you're using frozen peas, make sure they are thawed. To quickly thaw frozen peas, simply place them in a colander and run them under cold water for a couple minutes.
- I highly recommend fresh grated parmesan for this (and any) recipe. That stuff in a green can not only tastes weird, but it also does not seamlessly melt into the pasta and become silky smooth like fresh grated parmesan does. Just make sure you use the smallest holes on your box grater for this.
- If you like your pasta with a little heat, add ½ - 1 teaspoon (or more!) of crushed red pepper flakes to the pan with the garlic.
- If you want a strong lemon flavor in this dish, use the zest and/or just of 2 lemons instead of one. Just a warning, the zest will yield a stronger lemon flavor than the juice.
- I strongly recommend you continue to lightly season this dish with salt and pepper as you go. (i.e. season the chicken, then season the shallot, the half-and-half mixture, etc.) Pasta with creamy based sauces require a good amount of salt to really make all the flavors sing.
Nutrition
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This was incredible. We followed the notes and added extra lemon and the red pepper flakes, because why not, and my husband, myself , and two kids were fighting to get the last bites. And it was so easy. Thanks for making dinner tonight a winner and a keeper!
Hi Bethany,
I’m absolutely thrilled you and your family enjoyed this pasta!! And, I’m so happy to hear you found the recipe easy to prepare! Thank you so much for coming back and letting me know how everything went over! Cheers! 🙂
Hey,
I’m going to make this tonight……with the shelter in place order here in California I’d like to avoid going to the market if possible. I don’t have basil. Substitute suggestions anyone?
Hi Margaret,
You can skip adding the sprig of fresh basil in step 2 of the recipe. Then, substitute 1/3 to 1/2 cup of fresh herbs such as parsley, chives, tarragon or mint (or a combination of a few). Just finely chop them before you add them to the pasta. Please note that tarragon and mint are stronger herbs than basil, parsley or chives, so you may want to scale back on the amount if you use those.
Also, if you don’t have access to any fresh herbs, you can use dried herbs (1 teaspoon dried herb = 1 tablespoon fresh herbs).
I hope you stay safe and healthy during this time! Cheers!
This recipe was really good. I actually used 2% milk which was fine but I had to reduce the liquid a little longer. Also I added some cream cheese to make it creamier. It was delicious. Thanks for sharing
Hi Heather,
I’m thrilled you enjoyed this recipe! And, I’m happy to hear 2% milk worked out well for you! I love your addition of cream cheese – that sounds absolutely delicious!!! Thank you so much for coming back and letting me know how everything went over!
Cheers and warm wishes for a wonderful New Year,
Cheyanne
Hi there!
I am very excited to make this! Can I replace some of the chicken broth with white wine?
I’ll look forward to hearing from you! Thanks!
Hi Kelly,
While I have only made this recipe as written, I see no reason why you can’t substitute a little white wine! That actually sounds delicious!!! I’ll have to try that next time I make this (so thank you for the suggestion!!)! Let me know if you have any questions! Cheers! 🙂
If you haven’t made this yet you’re wrong. We put it in { The Book } after the first go. Amazing flavors!!
How do I make this for 16 people?
Hi Kameron,
If you hover over (place your mouse over) the number of servings at the top of the recipe you can adjust the number of servings up or down, which will in turn adjust the ingredients needed to feed “x” amount of people.
I made this tonight. I did not use the peas but added sundried tomatoes instead. It was AMAZING!!! Thank you for this recipe!
Hi Ashley! Sundried tomatoes sound like an amazing substitution!! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the pasta! Thank you so much for coming back and letting me know how it went over! Cheers!
I am going to make this tonight. I think I’ll add sundried tomatoes. Ilove them and already them in the fridge.
Hey Cheyanne! This was amazing, but as a fairly amateur cook, I’m not sure whether the sauce should have been thicker than mine was. When I checked it at ten minutes, the pasta was al dente. But the sauce was a little drippy as opposed to thick like an Alfredo. Should I have continued to cook to thicken it? Or is that the way it was supposed to be?
Hi Donna,
I’m glad you enjoyed this pasta, even though it was drippy, which it was not supposed to be. It should be a creamy sauce, similar to an homemade alfredo (not the stuff in a jar). There are a few things that could have gone wrong to cause the sauce to be thin:
-Did you add the correct amount of flour?
-Did you add too much broth or half-and half?
-Did the liquid come to a boil before reducing to a simmer?
-Was the sauce simmering when it was covered or was the heat too low?
All of these factors can attribute to a thin sauce. With that said, yes you could have continued to cook it a little longer, but not so long that the pasta is over-cooked. As well, the sauce should have thickened a bit as it stands. I hope some of these notes help for the next time!! I’m always here if you have more questions!
Oh! I almost forgot, there is a recipe video included in this post that shows the entire process of making this pasta and how it looks once completed. Hopefully that helps a little in clarifying everything for you. 🙂
All the best,
Cheyanne
Delicious! I cut the half and half and butter in half, and made it up with chicken stock, and did not think we sacrificed any creaminess. I’d hoped for leftovers for lunch but nope– family scarfed the whole thing.
Hi Camille,
I love your substitutions to cut some of the fat and calories! I’m thrilled you guys enjoyed this dish! Thank you so much for coming back and letting me know how it went over! Cheers!
I’ve tried this many times and it’s absolutely delicious!! Each time I followed the recipe exactly.
A question, can this be made with skim or 1% milk instead?
Hi Brendi,
First of all, I am so thrilled you enjoy this pasta as much as we do! As for your question, in all honesty, I’ve never tried to make this with anything other than half-and-half or full heavy cream. With that said, I would definitely stay away from skim milk, because you are going to end up with a thin, watery sauce. You can certainly try 1% milk if you would like! I’d assume your pasta will lack the same flavor and creamy texture as using half-and-half… but with that said, I always encourage people to make my recipes their own! Good luck and let me know how it goes if you try the substitution! Cheers and thank you so much for stopping by!
I’m going to try tonight and will let you know how it goes with 1% 🙂
Fantastic!! Sending you all the happy kitchen vibes!
I am a diabetic and I use canned evaporated skim milk, which has a thick consistency of cream and works great! Just thought I would offer that up!
This has totally left me drooling Cheyanne. I’m pretty much in love with anything lemon, and adding cream to it? I’m totally sold. And only dirtying one pot is awesome, especially since my dishwasher is away on business for the next month! Awesome recipe!
One pot dinners make the world a better place, and this one may be my new favorite. 🙂
This is what I call a one pot wonder! Perfect, simple, mid-week deliciousness! Definitely going tot try this soon!
So glad you brought this lemony goodness back to the front page. Its so perfect for spring and I just love peas and lemon together with pasta. Take care.
If calling this easy PEA-sy is lame then I’m lame too because that’s totally what popped into my head when I saw that it’s made in one pot 🙂 I love a one pot dinner and I think I’d eat cardboard if it had enough lemon flavor so this is right up my alley. Have a great week, Chey!
That video is making me incredibly hungry Chey! Love this light and easy dish! Casey will beheading home from college soon, and he’ll love this one!
Hi Chey – this is gorgeous! I love that golden chicken in there. Also the simplicity of this recipe. I think all my kids would eat (and love this), with the exception of Hudson, who is pretty much on strike and eating PB & J’s only these days. So his loss.This is an amazing dish and thank you for the inspiration. We are at my sister-in-law’s beach house for the kids spring vaca. and it is pouring and cold and the winds are 40 MPH on Old Salisbury Beach right now. No joke! The water is running down the window panes in rivulets. Sure wish I had a warm bowl of this pasta right now! Have a wonderful week my friend. XOXO
haha easy pea-sy pasta is always a fantastic thing!! That made me chuckle. And seriously – with all this rainy weather Monday & Tuesday are both a total drag!!! Sunshine please come back!!! But in the meantime I will take a huuuge bowl of this pasta please and thank you!
I love things that only require one pot this looks delicious!
Yesss to one pot pasta dishes! There is something about that lemon + basil combo with some noodles that make everything SO much better. Love the flavors in this – so perfect for a weeknight, think I’m going to have to add it to the menu next week!
Don’t really love Mondays but, so much in love with this easy peasy pasta, Chey. Lemon + chicken + pasta? What else could make a wonderful treat for Monday or any other day? Love how quick and painless, And, made in just one pot? Count me in for this beauty. Wishing you a lovely week ahead. 🙂
Mondays are a drag and sometimes there’s just nothing to talk about except for food! haha I’m thinking this needs to be dinner tonight because I have everything I need and I’m feeling uninspired lately. This pasta is downright inspiring — I love these flavors and the whole one pot thing is the best!
Pass me that shovel, Cheyanne… I’m going to devour this entire pan!! Not only do I love pasta, but creamy pasta with lemon, peas, chicken, and basil? YES. Can’t wait to try this one!
This looks so creamy and comforting! I love lemony pasta dishes, it adds a bit of lightness to the carbs :-). And those peas and basil add so much springy freshness to the mix! Do I have to share 😉 ? Take care.
This looks so bright, springy and creamy. My kiddos and hubby would love this and I’d be hoping for some next day leftovers for my lunch! Have a great week!
I’m all over this!!! I love one pot meals and this seriously has all the ingredients that my kids want in their pasta…why do I complicate it with way more steps???? On my menu for the weekend!!
I love one pot meals, this is perfect for spring!
This is everything I am craving right now! I could just swim in its deliciousness!!!
Yes Yes and Yes Cheyenne, this recipe gets 5 stars since I drooled a little when I saw it on Instagram earlier. I usually don’t mind Mondays but I got stuck in the airport today for four and a half hours and I still have to work when I get home… YAY weirdly I’m in a great mood, it might be the fact that I’m coming home from an awesome vacation. I love that this recipe only requires one pot and the add-on of peas makes my heart skip a beat. Have a great week my friend.
Love this pasta wonder! Creamy, lemony, and carb’ey – nailed it. Thanks Cheyanne for sharing this incredible recipe. Seems perfect as the sunshine is getting us all excited for Summer.
This is a delicious recipe, Cheyanne! Yummy!
No small talk??? What do I do without my bestie small talk? Okay, fine, I’ll just have to bug you via text then! 🙂 🙂 YOU without anything witty to say? Don’t/can’t/won’t believe it! I happen to like it when you flap your jaws… I mean when you speak so eloquently! 😉 Love that this is one pot! And I’ve been craving lemon everything like a mofo for ages now!! Gorgeous pics as always! Can’t wait to chat with you. xoxo
Chey, since you’re keeping it short and classy today, I’m going to do the same. This pasta looks so creamy, dreamy, rich, and scrumptious. And only one pot. Wow, I can say that’s exactly what we all need on Mondays.
sometimes i feel like creamy pastas get too rich, and i’m left feeling like i don’t want to eat for the rest of the week (well, at least the day). this one sounds rich and cozy, but with all that lemon and basil, super fresh and flavorful too!
Ludicrously creamy and outrageously dreamy?? Count Tom and I in Chey. This looks awesome and pasta happens to be is one of our favorites for dinner. Getting this one the menu very soon. Hope you have a great week!
Every Monday should begin with a creamy fresh one pot pasta recipe like yours Chey! You can’t resist feeling comforted just by looking at your gorgeous pictures! Happy monday girl!
Pasta again is okay with me anytime, Cheyanne! I have yet to try a one pot pasta – can you believe that – I keep meaning too and then it falls off my radar. You’ve inspired me with this delicious dish!
You know you’re speaking my language! This is the kind of dish I wouldn’t want to share. I would. But I wouldn’t want to! 😉 Wonderful meal to look forward to at the end of a long Monday! Thanks for sharing! xo
Pass the shovel! I would gobble this whole thing down in, oh, maaaaybe five minutes. If it even took that long. (And I love that I only have one pot to clean afterward. More time to luxuriate in carbs.) This is clearly a dish to chase the Monday blues away :). And on that note–you? Not having anything witty to say? Hahaha. NEVER! You’re pretty much the funniest person I know! Have a great week, girl!
A thousand times yes! Lemon Pasta is my absolute favourite and add chicken, basil and peas and it’s totally my kind of dish 🙂 Love!
One pot is the best!! It’s the worst when you finish a delicious dinner and then have to get back up and wash 3892 dishes (and scrub pots!!). Also, this looks soooo yummy and like it would make the perfect leftovers!!
Girl, I’m always down with talking about some pasta! Especially some easy PEAsy chicken one pot pasta! This made my Monday so much brighter! Cheers to a happy easy pasta filled week! XO
I have been living on one pot pasta bakes lately and even made one Saturday night! This one looks deliciously good, Chey! Love the lemon + basil combo. Plus, creamy sauces are probably my fave and the reason I work out, lol 😀 We had snow here this past weekend (yes, snow) and this dish looks all kinds of bright and springy, so I need that, especially on Monday. Bring it! Pinned! Have a great week, girlie! xo
Happy Monday!!! 🙂 I’m all about one pot meals and pasta is my go to item almost every day of the week. I love the lemon and peas in this dish. Looks delish!
Cheyanne, I think my daughter might wanna move in with you and boy if she saw this! She adores pasta – and is like putty when the promise of alfredo-like-pasta looms on the horizon – agreeing to do all sorts of chores just to get some alfredo-like-pasta in her mouf so am betting she would LURRRVE this “easy-PEAsy” one pot lemon basil pasta! Even without the chicken this would be a win win! And, seeing am on my last week of insaneness with finals, this is the kinda dish I so need – thanks for brightening my crazy Monday, my friend! Hope your week is off to a wonderful start and your weekend was EPIC!
I feel like ALL Mondays should start with one pot, creamy and dreamy pastas like this! And I feel ya for not wanting to yap on this morning. I mean, Mondays…blah! Can’t we hurry up and skip to Friday already? So that’s asking a bit much, but oh well. Instead, I’ll just dream of this pasta, which just happens to have all of my favorites! I love the basil, peas, and cream sauce. In fact, I always perfect cream or oil based sauces over red ones, so this dish is perfect for me. And I know that my husband would love this, too! Pinning this beauty and can’t wait to try it! Hope your Monday is off to a great start!
Take that, Monday! This dish is all kinds of perfect for me! You know I love quick + easy and I also adore one-pot pastas – they cook up so tender and creamy! And of course I love the veggies added in here and fresh basil is basically the best ever, so yeah, this is getting pinned and tried soon! Have a wonderful week my friend! XO
This screams FRESHNESS out loud, Chey. I miss those days that I didn’t have to worry about calories, carbs and fat….geez, now you have me really crave some real pasta!! So tired of low-carbs meals