Creamy Chicken and Asparagus Pasta

Creamy chicken and asparagus pasta with penne, sautéed strips of chicken breast, broth, cream, goat cheese, parmesan, lemon, and asparagus! Easy midweek meal, perfect for spring!

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated June 09, 2022
Elise Bauer
Pasta with Chicken and Asparagus
Elise Bauer

When springtime rolls around I find almost any excuse to cook fresh asparagus we bring home from the market. This is an easy pasta dish with asparagus and chicken breasts.

Goat cheese melts into the cream sauce to make it even creamier.

The lemon juice brightens the sauce, and a glance of nutmeg adds a final note.

Feel free to play around with this one! Swap out a different cheese, or experiment with different herbs like thyme or basil, or even add some heat with a few chili pepper flakes.

Creamy Chicken and Asparagus Pasta

Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 35 mins
Servings 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound asparagus spears, tough ends cut off and discarded, spears cut on the diagonal in 1-inch to 1 1/2 inch pieces

  • 3/4 pound penne or bow tie pasta

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 1 pound boneless chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat and sinews, and cut into strips 1 1/2 inches by 1/2 inch


  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 3 tablespoons chopped shallots

  • 1/4 cup chicken broth

  • 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream

  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

  • 5 ounces goat cheese

  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Method

  1. Blanch the asparagus:

    Bring a large pot of salted water (1 teaspoon salt for every quart of water) to a boil. Add the asparagus and blanch for 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside

  2. Cook the pasta:

    In the same water you used to blanch the asparagus, add the pasta and prepare according to the package instructions for al dente, while cooking the chicken.

    Reserve a half cup of the cooking water for adding back to the pasta if needed.

  3. Sauté the chicken strips and shallots:

    Heat butter in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the chicken strips to the pan in an even layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Do not stir, cook until lightly browned on one side. Add shallots, cook for a minute longer.

  4. Add the broth, cream, nutmeg, cheese, lemon zest, herbs, and most of the Parmesan:

    Cook, stirring, until the cheese has fully melted and incorporated into the cream.

    (Reserve the rest of the Parmesan to sprinkle on before serving.)

  5. Add the asparagus:

    Let come to a simmer and simmer for a minute.

  6. Stir in the lemon juice:

    Sprinkle with more black pepper to taste.

  7. Place pasta in a serving bowl. Stir in the chicken asparagus cream sauce:

    Add as much of the reserved pasta cooking water as needed for a creamy texture for the pasta. Serve with reserved grated Parmesan.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
504 Calories
28g Fat
25g Carbs
39g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 504
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 28g 35%
Saturated Fat 16g 81%
Cholesterol 133mg 44%
Sodium 604mg 26%
Total Carbohydrate 25g 9%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 39g
Vitamin C 7mg 36%
Calcium 236mg 18%
Iron 3mg 17%
Potassium 478mg 10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.