Creamy Caesar Chicken Pasta

A while back I shared about how I got my husband to use Pinterest as a tool to save recipes that he’d like for me to try. He doesn’t pin things very often, but a few weeks ago he did pin a couple of recipes that sounded good to him.

Because he was excited about these recipes, I deviated from our menu so I could try one. I was also excited for this Creamy Caesar Chicken and Pasta, but my reason differed from that of my husband. I was excited because it was a one-dish recipe, which is something I really appreciate!

Ingredients

(Adapted from this recipe.)

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 3 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning
• 1 cup Caesar salad dressing, divided
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 12 oz. angel hair pasta
• ½ cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Ground pepper
• Parsley flakes

Instructions

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Sprinkle with the lemon pepper seasoning. Place in a gallon zipper baggie along with ¾ cup of the Caesar dressing (reserve the remaining ¼ cup for the pasta sauce). Seal the bag and move the chicken around until it is coated in the dressing. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

Once the chicken is done marinating and you are ready to cook it, whisk the remaining ¼ cup of Caesar dressing into the cup of milk. Set aside. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or large high-walled skillet. Add the chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Reduce the heat under the pan to medium and add the minced garlic. Heat for one minute, then add the chicken broth and milk/Caesar dressing mixture. Add the angel hair pasta (it will bend as it heats so you can stir it all the way in). Use kitchen tongs to periodically stir the softened noodles as they cook. Cook for 4-5 minutes.

Decrease the heat to low. Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese and use the tongs to toss, allowing the cheese to melt. Return the chicken to the pan and add the lemon juice. Stir gently to combine. Sprinkle with ground pepper and parsley flakes before serving. Yield: 5 servings.

Click here to view nutrition facts and a printable version of the recipe.

Notes

This had a delicious flavor! Given it contains a small amount of cheese and milk (instead of cream), I was surprised at how rich it was. My husband reheated leftovers of it for lunch the day after we had it for dinner. He added a little water before microwaving it because the leftovers were a bit dry. He texted me from work to tell me that the reheated leftovers were even better than the freshly prepared pasta! This is always a good thing!

If you are in a hurry, then you could prepare this with chicken that is already cooked. Of course, this chicken won’t be marinated, but it will cut down a little bit on prep time. One thing you don’t want to change; however, is the type of pasta you use. Because the pasta absorbs the liquid you use to cook it, you need a thin pasta like angel hair. If you want to use regular spaghetti or a pasta like penne, then you would need to increase the amount of liquid you add and the amount of time you cook the pasta.

I’ll likely be adding this dish to the regular rotation of things we have for dinner. Have you tried any new recipes lately? If so, I’d love to hear about them!

Shared at the following:

Weekend Potluck, What’s for Dinner?, and Busy Monday.