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Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta

Garlic butter chicken pasta with spaghetti tossed in a glossy garlic-butter sauce and golden chicken strips. Cook the chicken until browned, then simmer the garlic briefly so it turns fragrant before the pasta water helps coat every strand.
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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: 780
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and seasonings
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts Cut into strips.
  • 1 Salt To taste.
  • 1 pepper To taste.
  • 1 garlic powder To taste.
  • 1 Italian seasoning To taste.
Pasta
  • 12 oz spaghetti Cooked; reserve 1 cup pasta water.
  • 1 cup pasta water Reserved from cooking.
Garlic butter sauce
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 6 tbsp butter
  • 8 clove 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
 

Cook the chicken
  1. Season the chicken strips with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Heat 3 tbsp 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 and set aside.
Make the garlic butter sauce
  1. Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and golden at the edges.
  2. Stir in the fresh lemon juice, then toss the cooked spaghetti in the garlic butter sauce. Add the reserved pasta water a splash at a time, tossing until the sauce coats all the pasta and looks glossy.
Finish and serve
  1. Top the pasta with the seared chicken strips. Sprinkle Parmesan and fresh parsley generously over the top for a bright finish.
  2. Serve immediately while the sauce is glistening. The pasta should be well-coated and the chicken should stay golden on top.

Notes

For best sauce cling, use pasta water while tossing the spaghetti so it turns silky instead of greasy. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; rewarm gently in a skillet with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. Freezing isn’t recommended because the butter sauce can break when thawed. For a lighter option, swap half the butter for olive oil and use low-sodium Parmesan.