• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Sprinkles and Sprouts

Great food with grocery store ingredients

  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact Me
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • By Category
  • Chicken
  • Pasta
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • By Category
    • Chicken
    • Pasta
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
  • ×
    Home > Meal Type > Pasta Recipes

    Lemon Pepper Chicken Pasta

    Updated: Jun 22nd 2021 • Published: Apr 12th 2019 • 22 Comments

    Jump to Recipe SaveSaved! Pin Recipe
    pin image with two picture of lemon pepper pasta and text in the middle
    overhead view of lemon pasta with text at the top
    close up on the chicken in the lemon pepper pasta with text at the top
    close up on the pasta in the lemon pepper chicken pasta
    a fork swirling some lemon pepper chicken pasta off a white plate with text at the top
    a white plate of lemon pepper pasta with silver fork and text at the top

    This Lemon Pepper Chicken Pasta makes a great, easy and inexpensive meal for the family; just perfect for weeknight dinners.

    The juicy crispy lemon pepper chicken is served on a bed of lemon pasta, with enough pepper to make it interesting but mild enough for kids. It is quick to make, delicious to eat and is sure to be a hit!

    Plus if served with a side salad or some roasted veg, then one chicken breast will be enough to serve a family of 4!

    A fork swirling up lemon pasta from a white plate

    Everyone loves pasta and this lemon pepper pasta makes such a change from the tomato based dishes that often make it to the table. Don't get me wrong I love a good Spaghetti Bolognese but I am a big fan of no tomato pasta dishes, like this Creamy Rosemary Chicken Pasta or my total fav my Roasted Cauliflower Pasta with Creamy Garlic Sauce (SOOO GOOD!)

    This pasta dish is great if you are trying to avoid heavy cream, gettings it rich almost creamy flavor from olive oil, parmesan, lemon juice, and some pasta cooking water.

    Jump Menu

    • Pasta Cooking Water?
    • How to make a no-cook lemon pepper sauce for pasta
    • What to serve with Lemon Pepper Chicken Pasta
    • What wine to drink with lemon pepper pasta?
    • Lemon Pepper Chicken Pasta Recipe

    Pasta Cooking Water?

    Yes, the pasta cooking water is the key to almost all great pasta sauces. As the pasta cooks, it releases some starch into the water, meaning that pasta cooking water will naturally thicken sauces and really help them cling to the pasta. You'll notice that most of my pasta dishes say to remove a couple of cups of the pasta water before draining the pasta. Often you only need a ¼ cup, but better to have removed too much than to have poured the valuable water down the drain.

    head on showing a plate of lemon pepper pasta with the serving dish behind

    How to make a no-cook lemon pepper sauce for pasta

    Whilst the pasta is cooking, the sauce ingredients are mixed together in a bowl or measuring cup. Once the pasta is ready, some pasta cooking water is added and then the sauce is tossed through the hot pasta. This coats everything with a deliciously zesty yet creamy sauce. All ready for the crispy lemon pepper chicken breasts.

    overhead showing sliced lemon pepper chicken breasts on a bed of pasta

    Lemon Pepper Chicken Breasts

    The recipe calls for one large chicken breast, which will be enough for a family of four. (Yes that is just one large chicken breast in the picture above!)

    Although if you are serving four adults you may want to do double the amount of chicken. Also if you find you can only buy very small chicken breasts then you might want to use two. You can see the size of my chicken breast in the picture below. That was enough for the four of us, with the pasta and some roasted broccoli.

    To make the most of the chicken breast and also ensure it cooks quickly, the breast is cut in half horizontally to make two chicken fillets. You can read more about filleting chicken breasts in this post for my Honey Pecan Chicken Breasts.

    Chicken breast being filleted on a wooden chopping board

    How to get enough lemon flavor into the chicken without making it taste sour.

    The key here is lemon zest! It adds lemon flavor without the sourness you get from lemon juice. Plus it doesn't dry out the chicken breast like lemon juice can do.

    To ensure plenty of flavor, the chicken is coated with a lemon pepper rub, consisting of:
    Lemon Zest
    Olive Oil
    Black Pepper
    Dried Parsley
    These are all mixed together and then used to coat the chicken.
    Once they have been rubbed into the chicken, it is coated in seasoned flour and fried in olive oil until crispy.

    The pictures below are for a double serving of this lemon pepper chicken - hence the fact there are 4 fillets. You can change the serving size for any of my recipes by using the serving size box in the recipe card. Change the number in the servings box and the ingredient amounts will automatically change. You can scale a recipe up or down, just bear in mind that some values might look a little strange when you change the servings.

    What to serve with Lemon Pepper Chicken Pasta

    We like to serve this with a side of vegetables, often roasted or sauteed.
    Try these next time you serve pasta:

    • Roasted Fennel
    • Sautéed Kale
    • Roasted Broccolini
    • Sautéed Green Beans

    What wine to drink with lemon pepper pasta?

    Lemon is notoriously difficult to pair with wine, as it softens wines and can sometimes make them taste sweet.
    I have found this dish can take a really fresh young bubbly wine, like an English sparkling wine or something from South Australia. Or add creaminess with a Chardonnay.
    But I think my favorite pairing is actually a light sharp red like a Valpolicella. It is mellowed by the lemon and works well with the pepper.

    A family serving of lemon pepper chicken pasta in an white earthen wear bowl

    Enjoy x

    For more amazing pasta recipes check out some other great recipes:

    • Garlic Butter Pasta with Garlic Chicken
    • Shrimp Chorizo Pasta
    • Pasta with Chicken Broth and Butter
    • Creamy Rosemary Chicken Pasta
    • Roasted Cauliflower Pasta with Creamy Garlic Sauce
    • Pasta with Roasted Fennel
    • Creamy Pepper Steak Pasta
    • Pork Stroganoff with Buttered Noodles
    • Black Truffle Pasta
    • See ALL 40+ Pasta Recipes


    Pin this recipe for Lemon Pepper Chicken Pasta. Pin it here.

    overhead of a white plate with lemon pasta in it and a silver fork
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    3.95 from 17 votes

    Lemon Pepper Chicken Pasta Recipe

    This Lemon Pepper Chicken Pasta makes a great, easy, inexpensive meal for the family; just perfect for weeknight dinners. The juicy crispy lemon pepper chicken is served on a bed of lemon pasta, with enough pepper to make it interesting but mild enough for kids. It is quick to make, delicious to eat and is sure to be a hit! Plus if served with a side salad or some roasted veg, then one chicken breast will be enough to serve a family of 4!
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Total Time25 mins
    Course: Main
    Cuisine: Italian
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 834kcal
    Author: Claire | Sprinkle and Sprouts
    For more great recipes follow me on PinterestFollow @sprinklessprout
    Need Metric Measurements?Use the options below to toggle between cups and grams (if relevant)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Grams

    For the Pasta Sauce

    • 3 lemons - see note 1
    • â…” cup olive oil - see note 2
    • â…” cup grated Parmesan
    • ¾ teaspoon salt
    • 2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper - see note 3

    For the chicken and pasta

    • 1 chicken breast
    • 1 tablespoon oil
    • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper - see note 3
    • ¼ teaspoon dried parsley
    • 1 ½ tablespoon AP flour
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ½ tablespoon oil
    • 11 oz spaghetti

    Instructions

    Start with the sauce.

    • Start by zesting and juicing the lemons.
    • Mix the lemon juice, olive oil, parmesan, salt, and black pepper together in a measuring cup. Add in half of the lemon zest.
    • Set the sauce to one side.

    For the chicken and pasta

    • Lay your chicken breast flat on the board and use a large sharp knife to cut sideways through the breast.
    • Continue to cut through the chicken breast, keeping the knife flat and parallel to the chopping board until you have two plump fillets.
    • Add the remaining lemon zest to a small bowl, then add the olive oil, black pepper, dried parsley and mix together well.
    • Pour this lemon pepper mixture over the chicken fillets and massage until well covered.
    • Combine the flour and salt in a shallow bowl.
    • Take each chicken fillet and lightly coat it in the flour.
    • Place a large skillet/fry pan over medium heat, add the oil and let it heat up whilst you get the pasta on.
    • Bring a big pan of water to a boil, salt it generously and then add the pasta, set a timer for a minute less than the packet suggests.
    • Once the pasta is boiling, cook the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF/73ºC.
    • Once cooked remove the chicken from the pan and slice into thin strips.
    • When the pasta is cooked remove 2 cups of the pasta cooking water and then drain.
    • Add a ¼ cup of the cooking water to the prepared sauce, stir well and then pour over the pasta. Stir well and add more cooking water until you have a smooth light sauce coating the pasta.
    • Serve immediately with the sliced chicken and an extra garnish of parsley, pepper and lemon zest.

    Notes

    1. 1 average lemon usually yields 2-3 tablespoons of juice.
      For the recipe, 3 lemons should yield roughly 6 tablespoons of lemon juice. Reduce the number of lemons if they are large or extra juicy.
    2. Use olive oil rather than extra virgin olive oil.
    3. Try to use freshly cracked black pepper from a pepper mill or the course cracked pepper you can buy in the grocery store. If you can only find the fine powdered pepper then reduce the pepper by at least half.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 834kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 49g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 947mg | Potassium: 528mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 180IU | Vitamin C: 43.6mg | Calcium: 235mg | Iron: 2.4mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @sprinklesandsprouts or tag #sprinklesandsprouts

    More Pasta Recipes

    • close up on a roasted leek in a bowl of pasta
      Leek and Bacon Pasta
    • close up on a slice chili in a bowl of pasta
      Spicy Tomato Pasta
    • close up on a large bowl of Ratatouille Pasta
      Ratatouille Pasta
    • close up on corn, pasta, basil and pine nuts on a spoon
      Corn Pasta with Basil

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Anonymous says

      January 03, 2023 at 8:09 am

      1 star
      WAY too much lemon. I zested and juiced as instructed and my 3 lemons gave me 1.5 cups of juice. After that, nothing made sense. Im sorry to say, but this recipe should be rewritten.

      Reply
      • Anonymous says

        January 03, 2023 at 8:11 am

        Correction: it made 1 cup.
        Also, the olive oil taste is incredibly overpowering considering the amount.

        Reply
        • Claire McEwen says

          January 03, 2023 at 10:10 am

          This is still a very large amount of lemon juice from 3 lemons.
          The recipe notes suggests around 6 tablespoons of lemon (so 1/3 cup)

          Did you use a regular olive oil or an extra virgin olive oil? Regular olive oil, shouldn't have a strong flavor so wondering if this is the issue?
          Cx

          Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        January 03, 2023 at 10:07 am

        Hi,

        Your lemons must have been monsters! 3 lemons would usually yield between 1/3 cup and 1/2 cup of juice (Around 6-9 tablespoons).
        That is what the recipe notes suggests.
        I will make sure this is highlighted further.
        Cx

        Reply
    2. Alex says

      April 20, 2022 at 6:44 am

      Well I suggest half a lemon not 3. Think about just how much juice that is, we had 3 and it was not editable

      Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        May 26, 2022 at 2:12 pm

        Hi Alex,
        1 average lemon should give 2-3 tablespoons of juice.
        For the recipe we say 3 lemons which is roughly 6 tablespoons of lemon juice.
        1/2 a lemom wouldn't give much lemon flavor.
        But feel free to reduce the lemon if you find it too strong.
        Cx

        Reply
    3. Jess says

      July 17, 2021 at 5:07 am

      5 stars
      This has become an absolute staple dish for the fam. We all love it SO much. I sometimes do a little variation and add some bacon I precooked and chopped. Absolutely delicious. If I have some left over, and since most of the sauce had absorbed, I make a bit of space with butter, garlic, a bit more lemon juice and parsley. Incredible!

      Reply
    4. Madeleine says

      February 19, 2020 at 10:26 pm

      4 stars
      Is there anything else I can use besides cheese for the sauce? Can I just skip it all together?

      Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        February 21, 2020 at 8:36 pm

        Hi Madeleine,

        I think you could leave the cheese out, but you will find the sauce isn't quite as thick. You could try thickening it with a cornstarch slurry (1/2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp cold water)
        I would also add extra salt to make up for the lack of salty parmesan.
        Sorry I can't be more helpful but I haven't tried it without the parmesan.
        Cx

        Reply
      • Hannah says

        March 29, 2020 at 8:33 pm

        Should I double the sauce recipe if I’m using 3 chicken breasts instead of 1?

        Reply
        • Claire McEwen says

          March 30, 2020 at 6:39 am

          Hi Hannah,
          if you are increasing the amount of pasta then I would definitely increase the amount of sauce. But if it is just the chicken that you are increasing then I would just increase the coating on the chicken.
          So for 3 chicken breasts:
          3 tbsp oil
          3 tsp freshly ground black pepper – see note 1
          0.75 tsp dried parsley
          4.5 tbsp AP flour
          0.75 tsp salt
          1.5 tbsp oil
          3 lemons - zest only (this is in addition to the zest that is leftover from making the sauce)

          Hope that makes sense.
          If you are increasing the pasta then I would increase everything. You can easily do this by changing the serving number on the recipe card. It will automatically scale the measurements up for you. Some numbers don't always scale well (say if the servings are an odd number) so they might look a little wonky.
          Hope that all helps.
          Please come back and comment if you are having any problems 🙂
          Cx

          Reply
    5. Brittany Stuart says

      January 08, 2020 at 6:39 am

      Any tips for when I only have one lemon and don’t want to get out? I just happened to have all of the other ingredients on hand but only one lemon!

      Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        January 08, 2020 at 8:07 am

        Hi Brittany,

        With only one lemon, I would probably make the chicken without any lemon, so make the rub up with the olive oil, black pepper and dried parsley. For a boost of flavor if you have it you could add some dried oregano (1/2 tsp). It will still be delicious without the lemon.

        Then with the lemon you have, juice and zest it and use it for the pasta. You won't have as much juice as the recipe uses, so I would add a little chicken/vegetable broth to the sauce to help it go a little further (1/4 cup). The lemon flavor will be milder than the original dish, but the zest will help.

        Hope that helps 😀

        Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        January 08, 2020 at 8:11 am

        Oh and make sure you zest the lemon first's it is easier to get more zest off. Then before you juice the lemon, roll it on the counter top a few times to break down the fibres so you can get as much juice as possible out of it.

        Reply
    6. Rita Skeeter says

      May 10, 2019 at 12:40 pm

      5 stars
      This is such an INCREDIBLY EASY dish to make, yet so impressive for guests. I don't eat meat or dairy, but wanted to impress someone coming over for dinner who I knew wouldn't like a plant based meal. They loved this and said it was divine. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        May 10, 2019 at 12:47 pm

        Oh I am so glad you found the recipe easy to follow and that your guests enjoyed it.
        And I love that you thought about your guests preferences, what a wonderful host 😀

        Reply
    7. Frustrated says

      May 10, 2019 at 6:53 am

      1 star
      Your instructions are very poor. Not trying to be mean, but they don’t make since. And there’s no sauce for the pasta? I’m so confused. It’s cooking right now and I’m hoping it turns out because I don’t want to go get takeout when I made all this effort. This is coming from two seasoned home cooks who know how to read recipes... ?

      Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        May 10, 2019 at 12:38 pm

        I am very sorry you are finding the recipe hard to follow. But there is definitely a sauce with the pasta. It is labelled at the top of the ingredient list and is the first thing to be prepared in the recipe instructions.
        Are there any other issues with the dish?

        Reply
        • Adriana Contreras says

          October 27, 2022 at 2:56 am

          Hi I am Spanish speaker and English is my second language and I made this recipe for my boss and his family and they love it. I understand your directions very well so thanks.
          I use almond flour and it was fine.
          😋

          Reply
          • Claire McEwen says

            January 31, 2023 at 3:01 pm

            Thank you for taking the time to come back and comment.
            It means so much 🙂
            Cx

            Reply
    8. molly says

      April 16, 2019 at 2:35 pm

      5 stars
      Woooww, I can't wait to try it, Thanks for sharing....

      Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        April 16, 2019 at 5:18 pm

        It is a really delicious chicken pasta recipe! And the kids love it!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    a lady stood in a white kitchen chopping a tomato

    I'm Claire and I love food!
    I dream about food and I am happiest when I am in the kitchen cooking. Whether that is dinner for my family, snacks for drinks with my girlfriends or testing new recipes for my site, the kitchen is my happy place. Sprinkles and Sprouts is where I share it all and I am so happy you are here.

    Read More →

    As featured in

    Popular

    • close up on a ladle of gravy pouring into a white gravy boat
    • square picture of a cast iron skillet of pasta
    • close up on the coriander and charred top of a sweet naan bread
    • Garlic bacon spaghetti in a large shallow grey bowl
    • Close up on roasted lemon potatoes in a white bowl

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Sprinkles
    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    All content, recipes and photographs are copyrighted to Claire McEwen and are the property of Sprinkles and Sprouts.
    THEY MAY NOT BE REPUBLISHED IN PART OR WHOLE WITHOUT PERMISSION AND PROPER CREDIT.
    Contact me to see republishing and syndication rights.

    Copyright © 2020 Sprinkles and Sprouts

    Copyright © 2023 · Cravings Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

    34280 shares