This garlic Lemon Chicken Pasta is easy and packed with flavor! It’s the perfect fresh summer meal made in 20 minutes, with seasonal vegetables.

Looking for more 30 minute meals? Try our Creamy Pesto Tortellini or Baked Tacos!

Lemon Chicken Pasta served in a bowl, garnished with parmesan cheese.

We live off of easy dinners during the summer months and this Lemon Chicken Pasta if light and refreshing and the perfect way to use your fresh zucchini, yellow squash, and parsley.

How to make Lemon Chicken Pasta:

  • Cook pasta according to package instructions.
  • Prepare chicken by seasoning with salt, pepper, lemon zest, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and onion powder. Cook in skillet with oil for 3-5 minutes per side, until cooked through. Remove and keep warm.
Raw chicken with dry seasonings on it next to another photo of the chicken cooking in a skillet.
  • Sauté zucchini and squash in skillet. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Add garlic.
  • Combine hot pasta to the pan with butter and lemon juice. Mix until butter has melted. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and toss to combine. Chop chicken and add to pasta.
Zucchini and yellow squash sautéed in a skillet, then pasta and parmesan cheese added.
  • Serve, garnished with parsley and additional parmesan cheese.

Use Fresh Ingredients:

  • Parmesan Cheese: The powdered stuff, and even packaged, pre-shredded parmesan cheese doesn’t have the same great flavor and texture as freshly shredded parmesan. Also, freshly shredded parmesan melts better, which works great when you sprinkle it over the warm pasta and on the chicken.
  • Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice makes a big difference in flavor!
  • Parsley: adds a great extra touch of flavor that you can’t get with dried parsley flakes.
A skillet with warm lemon chicken pasta in it, ready to serve.

Recipe Variations:

  • Vegetables: Swap out the zucchini and squash for broccoli, asparagus, spinach or another favorite vegetable!
  • Pasta: Use your favorite bite-size pasta.

More Zucchini Recipes:

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Recipe

Lemon Chicken Pasta served in a bowl, garnished with parmesan cheese.
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 15 minutes
Total 25 minutes
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Ingredients
 
 

Instructions
 

  • Cook pasta according to package instructions.
  • While the pasta cooks, season chicken, on both sides, with salt and pepper. Season with lemon zest, and ½ tsp EACH of garlic powder, Italian seasoning and onion powder.
  • Add olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add seasoned chicken and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side, flipping once, until cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm while it rests.
  • Add another tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Once hot, add the chopped zucchini and yellow squash. Season with salt and pepper, ½ tsp garlic powder and ½ tsp Italian seasoning. Cook,on medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
  • Add hot cooked pasta to the pan, along with the butter and lemon juice. Toss everything to combine, until butter has melted. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and toss to combine.
  • Chop the chicken and return to the pan. Serve, garnished with parsley and additional parmesan cheese, if desired.

Notes

Parmesan Cheese: The powdered stuff, and even packaged, pre-shredded parmesan cheese doesn’t have the same great flavor and texture as freshly shredded parmesan. Also, freshly shredded parmesan melts better, which works great when you sprinkle it over the warm pasta and on the chicken.
Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice makes a big difference in flavor!
Parsley: adds a great extra touch of flavor that you can’t get with dried parsley flakes.
Vegetables: Swap out the zucchini and squash for broccoli, asparagus, spinach or another favorite vegetable!
Pasta: Use your favorite bite-size pasta.

Nutrition

Serving: 5gCalories: 683kcalCarbohydrates: 74gProtein: 42gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 100mgSodium: 505mgPotassium: 814mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 897IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 294mgIron: 5mg

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Have you tried this recipe?!

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I originally shared this recipe August 2017. Updated May 2021 with process photos.

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About The Author

Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Another total hit! I’ve made at least 10 of your recipes and every one is in our dinner rotation now. This was no exception! Excellent!!

  2. 5 stars
    Delicious! Great flavors, quick & easy to make. My kiddo loved it and asked to take some for her lunch tomorrow at school.

  3. 5 stars
    First off, this is my family’s new go to favorite dinner meal! So delicious, quick, full of flavor, and healthy. Picky 6 year old even loves it! BUT, My only change has been instead of chicken breast, I use ground chicken! Quicker to cook, fits in with all the veggies and pasta better, and was just plain simpler to do with the time I had 🤷‍♀️ Another thing I added was asparagus! Just toss it in with the squash with a little extra oil. Great stuff!!!

  4. 3 stars
    This recipe has good flavor but needs more moisture, it is on the dry side. If I made it again I would add a little broth or half n half.

  5. 5 stars
    This is a new family favorite! For leftovers the next day we reheat in a skillet with a little soy sauce and sesame oil for an Asian twist and it is fantastic!!

  6. 5 stars
    This was delicious! Thank you for also adding in recipe we can use any pasta and veggies

  7. I made this dish, and it is so tasty! I love how simple yet delicious it is! Also, I am a big fan of the lemon!

  8. 5 stars
    A new favorite. So light and fresh but flavorful and satisfying. Added mushrooms and asparagus. Will try with spinach and chili pepper flakes.

    1. 5 stars
      My husband LOVED it! Used peppers and spinach instead and added chicken broth to the lemon juice. So much flavor, will be a new favorite!

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