Chicken Pasta with Creamy Cilantro-Lime Alfredo Sauce

Cilantro-Lime Chicken Pasta – delicious spaghetti in a creamy white cheese sauce with lots of flavor!   The sauce is made by cooking garlic, adding freshly squeezed lime juice and cilantro and then mixing everything in a homemade alfredo sauce! Delicious Summer pasta!

If you’re looking for quick and easy chicken dinner ideas – cilantro lime chicken pasta is a fantastic choice. The recipe takes only 30 minutes from start to finish and it uses very simple, basic ingredients. You’ll love the lime, garlic, and cilantro flavors combined in this creamy dish! Perfect dinner in the Summer!

Cook’s tips

• Use freshly squeezed lime juice. Squeeze 1 large lime to produce about 2 tablespoons of lime juice. If you do use bottled lime juice – use smaller amount than indicated in the recipe. Freshly squeezed lime juice is very flavorful, and that’s what should be used in this recipe.
• Save some cooked pasta water. If your creamy sauce gets too thick, add pasta water to the sauce to thin it out.

Substitutions

• Use either chicken breast or skinless boneless chicken thighs or chicken tenderloins. Slice the chicken before cooking.
• To make this pasta gluten free, use gluten free brown rice pasta. If you use gluten free pasta, make sure to rinse it after you cooked it in boiling water – it will prevent it from getting mushy.
• Use either shredded Mozzarella cheese or shredded Parmesan cheese to make the sauce.

3.82 from 16 votes

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Creamy Cilantro-Lime Chicken Pasta

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

Chicken Pasta with Creamy Cilantro-Lime Alfredo Sauce - delicious spaghetti in a creamy white cheese sauce with lots of flavor!  Easy to make: only 30 minutes from start to finish!  Delicious Summer recipe. 

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 611 kcal

Author: Julia

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb chicken breast , sliced
• salt and pepper
• 3 garlic cloves , minced
• 2 tablespoons lime juice , freshly squeezed, use less if bottled juice
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon cilantro fresh, chopped
• 2/3 cups heavy cream
• 2/3 cups milk
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese or parmesan cheese, shredded
• 8 oz spaghetti pasta (for gluten free, use gluten free brown rice spaghetti)
• reserved cooked pasta water
• 1 tablespoon cilantro fresh, chopped

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-hot heat. Generously season sliced chicken with salt and pepper, add to the hot skillet and cook for about 5 minutes until done. Remove sliced chicken from the skillet.
2. To the same skillet, add minced garlic, lime juice and chicken broth. Cook for 1-2 minutes on high heat, deglazing and scraping the skillet until the liquid is reduced and making sure garlic does not burn and brown too much. Mix in chopped cilantro.
3. Add heavy cream and milk. Bring to boil, the immediately add cheese and mix in until melted, while boiling. Then, remove from heat.
4. Cook pasta according to package instructions, drain, reserving some cooked pasta water.
5. Add pasta to the sauce, along with the half of the chicken. Mix everything in and season pasta with more salt, if needed.
6. Top with the remaining half of the chicken and more chopped cilantro.

Recipe Notes

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Nutrition Facts

Creamy Cilantro-Lime Chicken Pasta

Amount Per Serving

Calories 611 Calories from Fat 261

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 29g 45%

Saturated Fat 13g 65%

Cholesterol 142mg 47%

Sodium 309mg 13%

Potassium 660mg 19%

Total Carbohydrates 47g 16%

Dietary Fiber 1g 4%

Sugars 3g

Protein 36g 72%

Vitamin A 15.6%

Vitamin C 6.8%

Calcium 16.4%

Iron 6.8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.