If there was a recipe to take the award for most iconic in our family, it would be this Gluten-Free Lemon Pasta with Herby Chicken. Although, this wasn’t the first iteration. To explain the *why* behind this recipe, we’d have to tell the story. It was one of the earliest memories I (Tess!) have of actively cooking with my mom in the kitchen. I always helped here and there with baking muffins in the morning, adding something to a pan, or taste-testing from my seat at the bar. But, this recipe was one that I loved SO much that I needed to take part in the creation.
So, my mom and I had decided one night that we’d make Lemon Chicken (original title…leaves a lot to the imagination) together. I was thrilled. We tossed on our aprons and got to work. The recipe itself is wildly simple, so not much of a heavy lift at all. But the events that conspired made it more of a headache than we could ever have imagined.
During the process of making the cream sauce, it came to the pivotal moment where we added the cayenne pepper. Since I seemed to be following the directions well – with continual help from my mom – she handed me the cayenne pepper and a half teaspoon. She then advised me to add one half teaspoon of the cayenne to the pan and stir.
What happened in between that moment was one I WISH I remembered in heavier detail. But, all that needs to be noted is that I’m pretty positive I was pouring the cayenne – without the stopper – onto my half teaspoon instead of scooping it. What followed was a puff of the cayenne pepper into my eyes, a tablespoon or so of the powder in the cream, and cayenne all over my fingers which I then rubbed all over my face. There were tears. There was a panic. My mom was SO AFRAID the recipe had been ruined.
She knew she had to serve it as-is, though. We had several tiny mouths to feed and no second option. Plus, flushing my eyes, mouth, and nose of the cayenne took longer than expected.
Lo and behold, we tried the Lemon Chicken to see how badly I had destroyed something I was so looking forward to…and it was amazing. The recipe was alive! The kick from the extra cayenne pepper was so unexpected, but exactly what the recipe had needed! Suddenly it wasn’t a heavy, creamy bowl of pasta, but a fresh one with lemon, thyme, and some heat.
We loved it, and we never went back. Now, how’s that for recipe development? Today, our version (now Gluten-Free Lemon Pasta with Herby Chicken) has been tweaked even further to reflect our adult palettes, but we couldn’t be happier with the end result. It’s so easy to construct, and the exact bites you WANT in a pasta. Plus, a total pantry staple since you probably already have everything on hand. Enjoy!
Creamy (with a kick!) Gluten-Free Lemon Pasta with Herby Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lb gluten-free penne pasta (we love Barilla)
- 3 tbsp high-quality olive oil
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
- 2 tbsp herbes de Provence
- 2 ½ tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- zest of 4 lemons
- 2 ½ tbsp cayenne pepper
- juice of 6 small lemons
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan after the oil gets hot, and season with herbes de Provence, salt and pepper. Cook the chicken until just golden brown. Once the chicken is almost golden, add the garlic to the pan. Move that around so it doesn't burn, but infuses with the chicken and oil. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken and set aside, keeping the oil and garlic in the pan.
- Add the chicken broth to the pan and cook over medium-high heat, scraping up any brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add the cream, lemon zest, cayenne, and lemon juice. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.
- While the sauce becomes creamy and combines, bring a large pot of water to a boil, season with salt. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, as the pasta will continue to cook in the sauce.
- Add the pasta and chicken back into the sauce and toss to coat. Serve hot, and enjoy!
