Cowboy Butter Chicken Linguine Recipe: Quick Delicious Pasta
This Cowboy Butter Chicken Linguine Recipe is a quick and tasty meal perfect for busy nights. It offers something to cook for dinner with precooked chicken and satisfies dinner ideas with precooked chicken lovers. Enjoy a delicious family meal featuring easy-to-make pasta and chicken.
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Method: Stovetop
- Diet: Meat-based
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 12 ounces linguine pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1/2 cup chicken broth or reserved pasta water
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the linguine in salted water according to the package and save ½ cup pasta water before draining then set aside.
- Warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and season chicken with salt and pepper then cook for 5 to 7 minutes until browned and done, remove from skillet.
- Melt butter in the same skillet then add garlic, paprika, and red pepper flakes, cooking for about 1 minute until fragrant without browning.
- Mix in Dijon mustard, lemon juice, lemon zest, and chicken broth or reserved pasta water while scraping browned bits, simmer gently.
- Stir in heavy cream and half the parsley and cook for another 2 minutes to thicken the sauce lightly.
- Add back the chicken with cooked linguine and parmesan cheese, tossing well to coat and use reserved pasta water to loosen sauce as needed.
- Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper then garnish with remaining parsley and extra parmesan; serve immediately.
Notes
- Always save pasta water before draining as it loosens the sauce and helps it cling better
- Cook garlic only until fragrant to avoid bitterness in the creamy sauce
- Adjust red pepper flakes to your family’s preferred spice level
- When reheating, add a splash of milk or water to maintain creaminess
- Freeze sauce and pasta separately for best texture when reheating
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 600
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 520mg
- Fat: 35g
- Saturated Fat: 20g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 100mg