Lemon Leek Pasta with Chicken

This lemon leek pasta with chicken for two is a light and flavorful dish. The light sauce is made with leek, butter, fresh lemon, and Parmesan cheese. Toss it with pasta and chicken and you get an easy-to-make dinner in just under 30 minutes.

The recipe, post and photos have been updated from the archive. First published in January 2016.

Lemon Leek Pasta with Chicken

It seems fitting that the first recipe of 2016 (!) be a little bit lighter which means a lighter hand with the butter and cheese. After weeks of decadent dishes, sweet and salty snacks, and more bites of chocolate then I can count it’s nice to tuck into something a little easier on the waistline.

And while this leek pasta with lemon and chicken isn’t completely on the healthy side it’s definitely a step back from the super-rich dishes and treats from December. It’s a good way to ease into the new year.

Some Ingredients You’ll Need

• I like to start the pasta first. In the time it takes to boil it you can make the sauce. I like to use bucatini which is a long pasta shape that is thicker than spaghetti and hollow in the middle.
• It starts with a boneless, skinless chicken breast. I like to pound it out to an even thickness before cooking it in a little olive oil. This ensures it cooks evenly and, as a bonus, it will cook faster, too.
• After the chicken cooks, add the butter to the hot pan. Once it’s melted saute the sliced leeks in it until they’ve softened.
• Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to the pan with the leeks. It adds a bright flavor but it also makes it easy to scrape up all of the browned bits off the bottom of the pan, which gives the dish a richer flavor.
• At this point add the cooked pasta with a small amount of the starchy pasta water. Add the grated Parmesan cheese and toss, toss, toss it all together until the cheese has melted and the sauce has come together.

Happy 2016!

More Easy Pasta Recipes

Bucatini all’Amatriciana | Bucatini all’Amatriciana is a delicious pasta dish that takes less than 30 minutes to make. My version for two has pancetta, tomato sauce, a splash of balsamic vinegar and a generous pinch of crushed red pepper.

Balsamic Mushroom Pasta | Mushrooms in a creamy balsamic sauce tossed with fettuccine pasta. It’s easy to make and so delicious!

Spinach & Parsley Pesto | Pesto isn’t just for basil! This spinach & parsley pesto is full of fresh flavor and so easy to make.

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