Chicken Asparagus Pasta — EASY, ready in 20 minutes, and the asparagus, tomatoes, and basil keep this chicken and pasta recipe tasting LIGHTER and FRESHER!! Perfect for picnics, potlucks, and busy weeknight dinners!!
Easy Chicken and Asparagus Pasta Recipe
Spring is in the air and there’s nothing better to ring in warmer weather with this lighter, fresher lemon asparagus chicken pasta.
This is an extremely flexible recipe and I really wanted to take advantage of asparagus while it’s in season, but if you don’t like asparagus, you can omit it or replace with another veggie.
This chicken and asparagus pasta takes just 20 minutes to make, and the veggies all cook while the pasta is boiling. Quick, easy, and filling!
Ingredients in Chicken Asparagus Pasta
This is a very fast and easy recipe with a short ingredient list. You’ll probably have most everything on hand.
To make this recipe, you’ll need:
- Rotini pasta (or a similar small-shaped pasta)
- Olive oil
- Chicken
- Garlic
- Lemon juice
- Asparagus
- Tomatoes
- Basil
- Salt and pepper
How to Make Chicken Pasta with Asparagus
It takes just 20 minutes to prepare this recipe for chicken with asparagus and pasta. Detailed instructions can be found in the recipe card below, but here’s an overview of the recipe:
- Boil a pound of pasta.
- While that’s going, to a large skillet, sauté chicken before adding garlic, lemon juice, and asparagus.
- Stir in the cooked pasta, tomatoes, basil, season with salt and pepper, and voila, you’re ready to dig in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course! I used rotini pasta, but any short and sturdy pasta shape will work. I recommend avoiding long, thin pastas since they don’t hold up well against the chunks of chicken.
Yes, but it’s best enjoyed right away. Once reheated, the asparagus tends to become a little mushy and the chicken can dry out.
I made this lemon chicken pasta with asparagus, but you may substitute zucchini, snap peas, or broccoli (although you might need to steam it separately before adding to the pan). Any green vegetable may be used!
Yes! If you’re out of chicken or want to keep this recipe vegetarian, you may omit the chicken. Or, replace it with another protein such as shrimp, ground chicken or ground turkey, or salmon. Note that fish will have a much shorter cook time than chicken, so use your best judgement when substituting ingredients.
Tips for the Best Chicken Asparagus Pasta
Veggies: You could add another green vegetable, such as sugar snap peas or green beans, if you don’t have asparagus on hand. Sliced bell peppers, broccoli or cauliflower florets, or green onions would all work too.
Tomatoes: I used halved grape tomatoes although virtually any variety of diced tomato will be fine from heirloom to cherry to Roma.
Optional Cheese: Cheese is notably absent because I have a ton of pasta + chicken + cheese recipes and wanted to forego the cheese here. I was going for a lighter, spring and summery vibe with this one.
But a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan, Pecorino-Romano, or fresh mozzarella would all be lovely.
You could even stir in your favorite shredded cheese blend from a bag and it will melt into the warm pasta and chicken like a dream.
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Chicken and Pasta with Asparagus and Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1 pound rotini, cooked according to package directions; drained (another small-shaped pasta such as ziti, wheels, small shells, penne, etc. may be substituted)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more if necessary at the end
- 1.25 to 1.50 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, diced into bite-sized pieces; seasoned with salt and pepper to taste
- 4 to 5 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 pound bunch of asparagus, trimmed and diced into bite-sized segments (thinner asparagus is better than thicker here)
- ¾ to 1 pound cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- ¼ cup fresh basil or to taste, chifonaded; loosely measured
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, as desired to taste
Instructions
- To a large pot, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. While pasta cooks, continue by starting the chicken.
- To a very large high-sided skillet, add the olive oil, chicken, season with salt and pepper, and saute over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Stir and flip intermittently to ensure even cooking.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant; stir constantly.
- Add the lemon juice and stir to combine.
- Add the asparagus, stir to combine, and cook for about 1 minute, or just until al dente; don't overcook. The thinner the asparagus is, the faster it cooks. Thicker asparagus may take a bit longer to cook, 2 to 3 minutes, but take care not to over-cook the asparagus at this point because it will continue to cook after it's tossed with hot pasta.
- Add the pasta to the skillet with the chicken and asparagus, add the tomatoes, basil, and stir well to combine.
- Taste the dish and add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately. Recipe will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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great
Light and healthy–perfect for spring and the asparagus, basil and tomatoes look so vibrant!
I always try to enjoy asparagus this time of year when it’s usually at it’s best. Plus after lots of heavy-heavy winter food, this one is a little lighter!
These look super fresh and perfect for spring!
Paige
https://thehappyflammily.com
Perfectly fresh and spring feeling was what we thought too!