Here’s a Fancy Dinner Idea, Chicken Pasta in Lemon Sauce [Recipe]

If you are looking for a fancy dinner, this Chicken Pasta in Lemon Sauce is perfect. And you won’t even have to leave your house!

Some people put in a lot of effort on their dinner every day, while others prefer takeout or a quick sandwich, but we all enjoy treating ourselves every once in a while.

Work With What You Have and Make This Chicken Pasta in Lemon Sauce

What’s for dinner tonight?

This is the time to use what you already have, whether it is canned chicken, old rotisserie chicken, grilled chicken from an old salad, or something different like ham.

You can use any of these meats, or leftovers, but clean it and drain it before cooking. Don’t panic if there’s no chicken at home, as other meats work perfectly fine.

Add some broth for flavor!

This recipe calls for chicken broth during the cooking process, and it does so to add flavor.

Instead, you can use boxed stock or dried bouillon. Even that old vegetable soup works. Simply make sure whichever you choose is clear and still tastes well.

Let’s talk vegetables and sauce

For flavor, this recipe uses garlic, lemon zest, spinach, and basil. These are usually common ingredients, but if they aren’t, there are other things to be used.

Use powder garlic or garlic salt to replace the fresh one, the same with onion powder. If you don’t have lemon zest, add lime or lemon juice, or simply increase the vinegar amount.

As for the spinach, it can be fresh, canned, or dehydrated, but you can also use any other green salad or vegetable. Try canned peas, green beans, or mushrooms.

The final touch comes from basil, but if you don’t have fresh or dried, you can add other dried herbs like thyme, fennel, or oregano. Make the noodles and serve warm, maybe add Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper, and you’ll have the fanciest yet simple meal this week! Check out these other great recipes.

Chicken Pasta in Lemon Sauce

Course: Pasta

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil, divided

• 1 tbsp distilled white vinegar

• 1/4 (.4 oz) packet ranch dressing mix (optional)

• pasta, cooked al dente

• 2 cans 12.5 oz (approx 312 g) chunk chicken, drained

• 2 garlic cloves, chopped

• 2 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 tsp grated lemon zest

• 1 cup (240 ml) low-salt chicken broth

• 1 cup (128 g) spinach (canned, fresh, or dehydrated)

• 1/2 cup (64 g) chopped fresh basil, or 1 tbsp dried basil

• salt and pepper

Directions

• Cook your pasta to al dente. Combine 1 tbsp of olive oil, white vinegar, and ranch dressing. Stir the mixture into the cooked pasta and set aside.
• Place a wide heavy skillet over medium to high heat. Heat the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil. Saute the chicken until browned. Remove the chicken and add it to the pasta. Do not discharge the juice in the pan.
• Reduce the heat to medium and saute the garlic for 2 min. Stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest.
• Pour in the chicken broth and add in the spinach and simmer for about 8 min, or until the mixture reduces to a sauce consistency.
• You can now add in the basil and season it with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the chicken and pasta.
• Serve warm, enjoy.