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Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta

Garlic butter chicken pasta with spaghetti tossed in a glossy garlic-butter sauce and tender golden chicken strips. Finished with Parmesan and fresh parsley, it’s an easy weeknight pasta dinner that clings to 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: 720
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 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
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
Pasta and sauce
  • 12 oz spaghetti cooked (reserve 1 cup pasta water)
  • 6 tbsp butter
  • 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 tbsp 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 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. Add the lemon juice and toss the cooked spaghetti in the garlic butter sauce. Add reserved pasta water a splash at a time, tossing to coat all the pasta so it looks glossy and clings to the strands.
Finish and serve
  1. Top the pasta with the seared chicken strips. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley generously over the top.
  2. Serve immediately so the sauce stays silky and the chicken remains hot.

Notes

Pro tip: reserve pasta water and add it gradually until the sauce turns glossy and coats every strand. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of water or olive oil to loosen the sauce. Freezing isn’t recommended because the garlic-butter sauce can separate. For a lighter option, use half the butter and add an extra splash of pasta water for the same silky texture.