Cowboy Butter Chicken Penne

Chicken penne tossed with cowboy butter, Dijon, lemon, garlic, and fresh herbs for a bold, buttery stovetop pasta ready in about 25 minutes.

Prep: 10 min · Cook: 15 min · Yield: 4 · Method: Stovetop

Ingredients

• 12 oz penne pasta
• 1 lb chicken breast, boneless, skinless
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 clove garlic
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 unit lemon
• 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
• 0.25 cup parsley
• 0.5 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 0.5 tsp black pepper

Cooking instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the penne pasta until al dente. Reserve 0.5 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining. (about 10 min)
2. Dice the chicken breast into 1-inch pieces and season evenly with salt and black pepper.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and sear until golden brown and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F. (about 7 min)
4. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside. Reduce heat to medium, add the butter to the same skillet, and stir in minced garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking until fragrant. (about 2 min)
5. Whisk the dijon mustard, juice of half the lemon, and 0.25 cup of the reserved pasta water into the skillet to create a light emulsion. (about 1 min)
6. Return the chicken to the skillet, add the cooked pasta, chopped parsley, and grated parmesan cheese. Toss vigorously over medium heat, adding more pasta water if necessary until the sauce clings to the pasta, then finish with a squeeze of the remaining lemon juice. (about 2 min)