Cowboy Butter Chicken Linguine

Ingredients

• • 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• • 12 oz linguine pasta
• • 2 Tbsp olive oil
• • 3 Tbsp butter
• • 4 cloves garlic, minced
• • 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• • 1 tsp paprika
• • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• • 1 tsp lemon zest
• • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• • 1/2 cup reserved pasta water (or chicken broth)
• • 1 cup heavy cream
• • 1/2 grated parmesan cheese
• • Salt & pepper to taste

Steps

1. 1.Cook pasta as directed in salted water. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.
2. 2.Cook chicken by heating olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken pieces with salt & pepper before cooking 5-7 minutes, until browned and cooked through. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
3. 3.In the same skillet, melt butter. Add minced garlic, paprika, and red pepper flakes; sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant but not browned. Stir in the Dijon mustard, lemon juice, lemon zest, and pasta water. Scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan while gently simmering.
4. 4.Pour in the heavy cream and half of the chopped parsley. Stir gently, cooking for an additional 2 minutes until the sauce lightly thickens.
5. 5.Return chicken to the pan, add the cooked linguine and parmesan cheese. Toss everything together to coat evenly, adding reserved pasta water as needed to adjust the sauce's consistency. Garnish with remaining parsley and extra parmesan cheese.