Chicken Asparagus Pasta

This Chicken Asparagus Pasta is an easy one pan recipe made with sautéed chicken, cooked gluten-free pasta, tender asparagus, lemon, herbs and makes the perfect 30 minute meal for busy weeknights. It’s simple to customize and full of bright spring flavors! Gluten-free with grain-free, paleo, vegan and dairy-free options.

Easy Chicken Asparagus Pasta Recipe

With spring on its way, we can’t get enough of all the fresh produce we’re seeing everywhere. Asparagus is by far our favorite spring vegetable and we love pairing it with lemon and garlic in this Chicken Asparagus Pasta.

This creamy chicken pasta comes together in just in under 30 minutes and is perfect for busy weeknights. This one pot dinner recipe is made with cooked gluten-free pasta, sautéed chicken breast, tender asparagus and bright lemon with herbs.

Recipe Ingredients

• Dried pasta – we used Jovial gluten-free farfalle (bow tie pasta), but Jovial cassava flour grain-free penne, paleo fusilli or any other medium-length pasta you like would be delicious.
• Avocado oil or olive oil
• Boneless skinless chicken breasts – cut into 1 inch chunks or strips. If you’re not a fan of chicken or want this to be a meatless meal, just omit it or sub with another plant-based protein instead.
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Herbs – dried oregano, thyme and garlic powder – to make the pasta tasty and delicious
• Vegan butter – we like Miyokos. Sub with ghee or grass-fed butter if not dairy-free or for paleo.
• Garlic – minced
• Asparagus – be sure to trim the woody ends and then cut into 2-inch pieces
• Coconut cream – a dairy-free option to make the creamy sauce. You can sub with heavy cream if not dairy-free
• Lemon – you’ll need the juice and zest for extra brightness

For serving: 

• Grated vegan parmesan cheese (we like Violife)  – sub with nutritional yeast or regular parmesan if not dairy-free. Omit for paleo or use cashew based cheese.
• Grated vegan mozzarella cheese , (we like Violife)  – sub with nutritional yeast for paleo or regular parmesan if not dairy-free
• Chopped fresh parsley and lemon slices for garnish if desired

How to make Chicken Asparagus Pasta

This Asparagus Pasta recipe is a quick and easy dish bursting with bright and fresh flavors. And I love that it’s pretty simple to customize by tossing in any other veggies.

1. Cook the pasta: In a large pot bring water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. Sauté chicken: While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and season with salt, black pepper and oregano. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until browned and cooked through. Add 1 teaspoon minced garlic and cook for another minute, until fragrant. Transfer to plate and set aside.
3. Make the cream sauce: Add ghee to the same skillet and melt over medium-high heat then add the remaining minced garlic and asparagus and sauté for 1 minute, until just starting to turn bright green. Whisk in the cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, vegan parmesan, and vegan mozzarella cheese. Allow the sauce to thicken and cheese to melt.
4. Stir in the pasta: Add the drained pasta and chicken back into the skillet. Season with salt and black pepper to taste (I used about 1½ teaspoons salt + ½ teaspoon black pepper). Toss to coat well until everything is heated through.
5. Serve hot and sprinkle with nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, and lemon slices, if desired.

Variations

I think the lemon chicken pasta would be delicious with the addition of:

• sliced carrots
• fresh mushrooms
• fresh peas
• spring onions

Pasta Choices for Lemon Chicken Skillet Pasta

For this easy lemon chicken asparagus pasta recipe, we used Jovial gluten-free farfalle (bow tie pasta), but Jovial cassava flour grain-free penne, fusilli or any other medium-length pasta you like would be delicious.

The chicken, asparagus and creamy lemon garlic sauce cook up in the same pan, soaking in all those refreshing flavors.

Serving suggestions

Serve with some cheesy parmesan (or nutritional yeast for vegan), fresh lemon slices and chopped parsley for an incredibly tasty family-friendly dinner!

• Pair with Bread: I’m going to let you in on a little secret: homemade bread can be the quickest, easiest side dish ever. Don’t believe me? Check out my 15-Minute Keto Bread! It’s so soft and fluffy, and it goes great with this spaghetti.
• Serve with Salad: Serve up complete meal by making this healthy Caesar Salad as an appetizer for your meat sauce pasta.
• Serve with Roasted Veggies: These Rainbow Roasted Vegetables don’t just look beautiful – they’re also super flavorful, nutritious and easy to make!

Cooking tips for this Lemon Chicken Asparagus Pasta Recipe:

• cook pasta the day before and store in a large zip-top freezer bag in the fridge
• trim asparagus the day before and store in a large zip-top freezer bag in the fridge
• combine all the dried herbs ahead of time and store in airtight container or zip-top bag
• leftovers are delicious when packed in school lunchboxes or work lunch bowls.
• a big batch would be great for meal prep Sundays

Make ahead tips

You can definitely make asparagus pasta in advance, if you’d like! It’s great for meal prep. Just be sure you don’t overcook the pasta, as they will be softer when they’re reheated. They should be cooked until just al dente. Refer to the storage, freezing and reheating steps below.

Storage and leftovers

Pasta with cream sauce should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container and enjoyed within 4 days. If you want to freeze it for long-term storage, make sure it’s in a freezer-safe container or bag. If you’re using a bag, seal it well and lay it down flat in the freezer. Enjoy frozen pasta within 2-3 months.

We like reheating this pasta in the microwave, as it yields the best results with minimal effort. Microwave individual servings of leftover pasta in 45-second intervals, stirring between each, until warm. Thaw frozen pasta overnight in the fridge before reheating it.

More easy pasta dinners:

One Pan Teriyaki Chicken Zoodles

Instant Pot Spaghetti

Easy Tuscan Chicken Pasta

Pasta Primavera

5 from 33 votes

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Chicken Asparagus Pasta

Prep Time

12 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

27 mins

 

This Chicken Asparagus Pasta is an easy one pan recipe made with sautéed chicken, cooked gluten-free pasta, tender asparagus, lemon, herbs and makes the perfect 30 minute meal for busy weeknights. It's simple to customize and full of bright spring flavors! Gluten-free with grain-free, paleo, vegan and dairy-free options.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: asparagus, easy one skillet pasta dish, easy weeknight meal, lemon chicken, one pan dinners

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 604 kcal

Author: Kelly

Ingredients

• 7 ounces dried pasta , I used Jovial gluten-free farfalle (bow tie pasta), but Jovial cassava flour grain-free penne, fusilli or any other medium-length pasta you like would be delicious.
• 1½ tablespoons avocado oil OR olive oil
• 2 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts* , cut into 1 inch chunks or strips
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 3 tablespoons vegan butter , we like Miyokos. Sub with ghee or grass-fed butter if not dairy-free or for paleo
• 1½ tablespoons minced garlic divided
• 1 pound asparagus , ends trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• ½ cup coconut cream OR sub with heavy cream if not dairy-free
• Juice and zest of one lemon
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
• 2/3 cup grated vegan parmesan cheese , (we like Violife) - plus more for garnish - sub with nutritional yeast or regular parmesan if not dairy-free. Omit for paleo or use cashew based cheese.
• ½ cup grated vegan mozzarella cheese , (we like Violife) sub with regular mozzarella if not dairy-free. Omit for paleo.
• Chopped fresh parsley and lemon slices for garnish if desired

Instructions

1. In a large pot bring water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
   

2. While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and season with salt, black pepper and oregano. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until browned and cooked through. Add 1 teaspoon minced garlic and cook for another minute, until fragrant. Transfer to plate and set aside.

   

3. Add butter to the same skillet and melt over medium-high heat. Add remaining minced garlic and asparagus and sauté for 1 minute, until just starting to turn bright green. Whisk in the cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, parmesan, and mozzarella cheese.

   

4. Allow the sauce to thicken and cheese to melt. Add the drained pasta and chicken back into the skillet. Season with salt and black pepper to taste (I used about 1½ teaspoons salt + ½ teaspoon black pepper). Toss to coat well until everything is heated through.

   Serve hot and sprinkle with nutritional yeast or more parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, and lemon slices, if desired.

   

Recipe Notes

*If you're not a fan of chicken or want this to be a meatless meal, just omit it or sub with another plant-based protein instead. 

Nutrition Facts

Chicken Asparagus Pasta

Amount Per Serving (1 serving (1/4 recipe))

Calories 604 Calories from Fat 288

% Daily Value*

Fat 32g49%

Carbohydrates 47g16%

Fiber 5g20%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 33g66%

* Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy using the WPRM recipe calculator. It is best to make your own calculations to ensure accuracy. We expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.