Chicken Zucchini Pasta

a birds eye photo of a bowl of spaghetti with chicken and zucchini

This chicken zucchini pasta skillet uses browned chicken breast, caramelized zucchini, and al dente pasta for a fresh but hearty dinner. Finished with lemon, Parmesan, and pine nuts, it’s an easy way to make weeknight meals feel special without adding extra time in the kitchen.

note - ingredients can be approximate

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 40

Total Time 45

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings

Calories 629 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

400 g (14 oz) pasta, of choice
15 g (1 tablespoon) olive oil
500 g (1 lb) chicken breast
450 g (1 lb) zucchini , approx. 3
4 garlic cloves, crushed, fresh recommended
5 g (1 tablespoon) oregano, dried
½ lemon, juice and rind, fresh recommended
50 g (½ cups) Parmesan, freshly grated, see note 1
½ cup fresh parsley, optional, roughly chopped
salt and pepper , to taste

Instructions

Prepare ingredients

Thinly slice 450 g (1 lb) zucchini
Mince: 4 garlic cloves
Cut 500 g (1 lb) chicken breast into 1inch cubes and toss with 5 g (1 tablespoon) oregano and salt and pepper .
Heat a large pot with salted water (at least 4L)

Cook

Heat 15 g (1 tablespoon) olive oil in a skillet and cook 500 g (1 lb) chicken breast until golden (approx. 5 minutes). Remove and set aside.
In the same skillet, add more oil if needed and cook 450 g (1 lb) zucchini until it breaks down into a paste-like sauce. Add garlic toward the end
It'll go from soft to crisp to soft and paste-like. This should take about 30 minutes (but dependent on stove). Stir occasionally.
Add pasta to salted water and cook for half the time on the packet. Reserve ½ cup pasta water before draining.
Add 400 g (14 oz) pasta and reserved pasta water to the skillet with zucchini, tossing so it absorbs the sauce. Stir chicken back in.
Add ½ lemon (juice and rind), 50 g (½ cups) Parmesan and ½ cup fresh parsleyToss well and serve.

Video

Notes

Note 1 - Parmesan

I highly (cannot stress how much) recommend using block parmesan and freshly grating yourself. Use pre-grated in the fridge section as a plan B but do not use the shelf-stable parmesan in the pasta aisle for this recipe please!!!

Storing

Let the dish cool down and then divide into containers and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Reheating

Before reheating, add a small splash of water or olive oil to the dish then begin to reheat (don't stir yet). After a minute of reheating, the pasta should have loosened up enough so you can mix without breaking.

It should reheat after about 3 minutes in the microwave.

Freezing

Store in freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge, then reheat gently on the stove or microwave. Add lemon and parsley fresh after reheating to restore brightness.

Nutrition

Calories: 629kcalCarbohydrates: 82gProtein: 46gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 89mgSodium: 366mgPotassium: 1079mgFiber: 6gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1016IUVitamin C: 40mgCalcium: 233mgIron: 3mg

Keyword chicken breast meal prep, Pasta Recipe

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