Zesty Cowboy Butter Chicken Lemony Pasta (Printable)
Juicy spiced chicken meets zesty cowboy butter, served alongside lemony bowtie pasta and crisp broccoli for a bold, satisfying meal.
# What You'll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
03 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
07 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
08 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
→ Cowboy Butter
09 - 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
10 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
11 - 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
12 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
13 - 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
14 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
15 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
16 - Zest of 1 lemon
17 - Salt and black pepper to taste
→ Pasta & Broccoli
18 - 12 ounces bowtie (farfalle) pasta
19 - 1 large lemon, for zest and juice
20 - 10 ounces broccoli florets
21 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
22 - Salt and pepper to taste
→ Garnish
23 - Extra chopped fresh parsley
24 - Lemon wedges
# Method:
01 - In a small bowl, combine smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Coat the chicken breasts with olive oil, then rub the spice blend evenly over both sides of each breast.
02 - Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken breasts for 5 to 6 minutes per side until a golden crust forms and the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Transfer to a cutting board, rest for 5 minutes, then slice thickly.
03 - In a mixing bowl, combine softened butter, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, chopped parsley, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir until smooth and fully blended.
04 - Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Cook the farfalle pasta according to package directions. During the last 2 to 3 minutes of cooking, add the broccoli florets to the pot. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta water.
05 - Return the drained pasta and broccoli to the saucepan. Toss with olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, the reserved pasta water, and salt and pepper to taste until evenly coated.
06 - Return the sliced chicken to the warm skillet. Dollop generous spoonfuls of cowboy butter over the top and allow it to melt, basting the chicken in the seasoned butter.
07 - Arrange the lemony bowtie pasta and crisp broccoli on plates. Top with the cowboy butter chicken slices. Garnish with additional chopped parsley and lemon wedges if desired.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The cowboy butter is the kind of condiment you will want to smear on everything from grilled bread to roasted vegetables once you taste it.
- Bowtie pasta holds onto the lemony sauce in its little folds, making every bite more flavorful than the last.
- It looks like you spent hours but the whole thing comes together in under an hour with ingredients you probably already have.
02 -
- Do not rush the butter softening because cold butter will leave lumps and never fully incorporate with the other ingredients.
- Reserving that pasta water seems like a small thing but it is the difference between a pasta that slides around in oil and one where the sauce actually coats each noodle.
- Letting the chicken rest for five minutes before slicing keeps the juices inside rather than running all over your cutting board.
03 -
- Toast the spices in the dry skillet for thirty seconds before rubbing them on the chicken and the fragrance will fill your entire kitchen.
- A microplane is the best tool for lemon zest because it catches just the bright yellow oils without any bitter white pith underneath.