Asparagus and Chicken Pasta

Asparagus and chicken pasta is exactly what you need if you're craving a quick and delicious recipe with juicy chicken, crisp asparagus, and perfectly al dente pasta in a creamy lemon dill sauce.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Servings

Calories 380kcal

Author Colleen Milne

Ingredients

12 ounce penne pasta gluten-free if needed
1 pound fresh asparagus trimmed and sliced into two inch pieces
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into one inch pieces
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 cup parmesan cheese finely grated
1 lemon juice and zest
¼ cup fresh dill chopped

Instructions

In a large pot, cook the pasta according to the package directions.
While the pasta cooks, heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Add them to the pan in a single layer and cook, flipping halfway through, until they're browned and cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside.
During the last 2 to 3 minutes of the pasta's cooking time, add the chopped asparagus pieces to the pot with the pasta. Continue cooking until the asparagus is tender-crisp, and the pasta is al dente. Reserve a half cup of the pasta water, then drain into a colander.
Add the Greek yogurt, lemon juice and zest to the hot pot and stir over medium heat to combine.
Return the pasta and asparagus to the pot, add the chicken, and stir together. Add the reserved pasta water, a little at a time, to thin the sauce if desired.
Stir in the parmesan cheese and garnish with fresh dill before serving.

Notes

Cooking pasta. Overcooked pasta is soft and mushy, and no one wants that! Al dente pasta is tender but still has a slight bite to it. Use a timer according to the time stated on the package, and sample of piece of the pasta so you know when to stop cooking and drain it.

Trim asparagus. If your asparagus isn't pre-trimmed, snap off the fibrous ends before cooking. To do this, gently bend each stalk until the woody end snaps off at the natural breaking point.

Cooking chicken. I cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces for quick cooking and even browning. Use a large sauté pan and place the chicken pieces in a single layer so each piece gets golden brown on both sides and cooked through. You can also use an air fryer to cook the chicken at 400° for 10 minutes.

Reserve some pasta water. The pasta water contains starch that helps emulsify fats while thinning out the creamy sauce a little bit. You may not need it, but if you do, pasta cooking water is your secret weapon for creating the best pasta sauce! If you forget to scoop out the water before draining (and I have), just use a little chicken broth if your cream sauce is too thick.

Spices. I've kept this pasta recipe simple to really let the lemon and dill combo star. If you want to you can season the chicken with Italian seasoning, garlic powder or minced garlic. I love to add just a pinch of red pepper flakes to the pasta sauce for a little kick of spice.

Vegetables. You can more vegetables to this chicken and asparagus pasta. Some great choices are green beans, zucchini, halved cherry or grape tomatoes, or green peas.

Storage. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Reheating. Warm leftovers gently on the stovetop over low heat, adding a little milk or chicken stock to loosen the creamy sauce. Alternatively, microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between to prevent drying out.

Nutrition