Creamy Pasta and Tender Chicken
So far this sounds amazing, right?! Lemon pepper chicken with fettuccine Alfredo is an easy peasy weeknight recipe. For this one I wanted to create a creamy Alfredo sauce that was thick, rich, and flavorful.
My Alfredo sauce is a little different in that it’s about half parmesan and half ricotta to beef up the consistency. I always love the bright flavor of lemons, and I’ve recently become addicted to lemon pepper. Lemon pepper is a great seasoning for roasted veggies, and in this recipe, I used it to flavor tender chicken breasts to serve on top of the pasta. Here were go!
What You Need to Make Lemon Pepper Chicken with Fettuccine Alfredo
- Dairy – This recipe triples up on the diary goodness (quadruple if you include the butter). Traditional Alfredo uses parmesan. Do not go for the canned, powdery parm. Purchase a wedge of parmesan from the deli section of your grocery store. Ricotta gives the Alfredo a thick consistency while the heavy whipping cream adds richness.
- Lemons – Add a subtle hint of citrus to the sauce with a bit of fresh squeezed lemon juice. Season the chicken breasts generously with salt and an all-in-one lemon pepper seasoning.
- Chicken – You’ll need chicken breasts. This is pretty straightforward.
- Fettuccine – If I’m going to enjoy a ‘long’ pasta, I’m going with fettuccine. It’s thicker and holds up better. Spaghetti or linguine is too slender for my taste.
How to Make Lemon Pepper Chicken with Fettuccine Alfredo
Make this a quick cook by butterflying two chicken breasts. To do this, place your palm over the chicken breast to hold the meat flat and in place. Carefully slice the breast down the middle.
Season and cook in a well oiled pan or, my favorite, cast-iron skillet for 3-4 minutes on each side. To get a golden crust, don’t move the meat while it cooks. Be sure to allow the chicken to rest before slicing to keep in the juices.
Alfredo Sauce
Making this sauce starts with the basic roux combination of melted butter and flour. Add in the garlic as well to cook until fragrant. To prepare the garlic, peel the garlic, slice and then mash it to make a nearly smooth garlic paste before adding it to the butter.
Using the flat side of a large chef’s knife, with the blade end away from you, press the garlic, dragging the blade towards you. Repeat until the garlic is well mashed.
Building the Flavor
Once the garlic-flour-butter sauce has cooked for a few minutes, add in the cream and increase the heat just a bit to bring the sauce to a bubble. The white sauce should start to thicken. As soon as it does take the heat back down. Add the parmesan and whisk until the sauce is smooth. Lastly, mix in the ricotta, salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
Bringing It All Together
It’s time to bring all these great elements together to make lemon pepper chicken with fettuccine Alfredo. A few tips. Be sure to reserve pasta water for the sauce! Add a 1/2 cup of pasta water to the sauce, it will seem too loose, but once you toss the pasta in the sauce it will get absorbed. In fact, if you choose to make the sauce the night before, it will thicken up considerably and have a peanut butter consistency. No worries, just heat the sauce in a pan to liquify.
Allow your chicken to rest to keep in the juices. Slice each chicken breast, placing one portion on top of each bowl of pasta.
Tips, Tricks, & FAQs
- Roasted Veggies? Lemon pepper is great on chicken, but also amazing on roasted veggies like peppers or asparagus. Try this Sautéed Bell Pepper with Lemon Pepper recipe.
- How to use Parmesan rinds? Parmesan will keep for a while if stored well and is a staple in my fridge. I keep mine in a well-sealed container or plastic bag. When you have grated the cheese all the way to the thick rind, save it in the freezer. Toss the rind into soups and sauces until it’s melted, then remove it before finishing the dish.
- Break Your Pasta. Break the fettuccine in half before cooking for a better fit in the pan and honestly, just easier to handle when eating. Be sure the water is well salted when preparing the pasta. And most importantly, reserve some of the pasta water for the sauce.
Lemon Pepper Chicken with Fettuccine Alfredo
Equipment
- 2-quart saucepan
- small saucepan
- chef's knife
- cutting board
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
- cheese grater
- lemon juicer
- whisk
- frying pan or cast-iron skillet
Ingredients
Lemon Pepper Chicken
- Two -1lb chicken breasts
- lemon pepper seasoning
- sea salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Pasta
- 5 cups water using a 2-quart saucepan
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 16 oz fettuccine pasta
Alfredo Sauce
- 1 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh mashed garlic (1 large clove)
- 3 tablespoons room temperature unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup ricotta
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 to 1 cup pasta water (optional)
- 1 bunch fresh parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients and equipment.
Chicken
- Butterfly. Butterfly each chicken breast by placing the palm of your hand on the breast to hold the meat in place. Using the chef's knife, carefully slice the breast in half.Two -1lb chicken breasts
- Season. Generously season with salt and lemon pepper on both sides of each breast.lemon pepper seasoning, sea salt
- Cook. Pour olive oil in the skillet and heat over medium heat. Cook each side 3-4 minute1 tablespoon olive oil
- Stand. Let the chicken stand for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
- Next…While the chicken is resting, prepare the sauce and pasta.
Pasta
- Water. Add water and salt to the saucepan, stir, and bring to a boil.5 cups water using a 2-quart saucepan, 2 teaspoons sea salt
- Pasta. Break the fettuccini in half and carefully add to the boiling water. Stir to ensure the pasta doesn’t stick.16 oz fettuccine pasta
- Boil Boil the fettuccine for 10-12 minutes or until desired tenderness. Reserve 1 cup pasta water.
Sauce
- Parmesan. Grate the parmesan cheese.1 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Garlic. Peel and thin slice the garlic clove. Then, using the flat side of the chef's knife, with the cutting edge of the knife facing away from you, mash the garlic and pull the knife back towards you, dragging the knife. Repeat until the garlic is nearly a paste.1/2 teaspoon fresh mashed garlic (1 large clove)
- Roux. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the mashed garlic and flour. Whisk constantly, cooking for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes until the sauce is frothy and the garlic is fragrant. The sauce should be a pretty yellow color. If it turns brown, start over.3 tablespoons room temperature unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon flour
- Cream. Add the heavy whipping cream and increase the heat to medium low. Cook until the cream thickens. This will go quickly, continue to whisk. As soon as the sauce thickens to coat a spoon, reduce the heat to low. About 2 minutes.1 cup heavy whipping cream
- Parm. Add the grated parmesan cheese and stir until melted. About 1 minute.
- Everything Else. Add the ricotta, salt, black pepper, and lemon juice.1/2 cup ricotta, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper, 3 teaspoon lemon juice
- Pasta Water. I recommend adding at least 1/2 cup of pasta water. The sauce will seem soupy but as the pasta absorbs the sauce it will thicken up. You can also toss the sauce with the pasta and add the pasta water as needed.1/2 to 1 cup pasta water (optional)
- Toss. I prefer to toss the pasta in the sauce before serving.
- Tip: Use large mixing bowls to combine pasta and sauce.
- Serve! Slice the chicken breasts and serve on top of the fettuccine Alfredo. Garnish with chopped parsley.1 bunch fresh parsley (optional)
