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Seared Cast Iron Chicken with Baked Lemon Pasta
5 from 62 votes

Seared Cast Iron Chicken with Baked Lemon Pasta

This recipe features a main course combining seared chicken breast with baked lemon pasta in the same skillet. The pasta is cooked by toasting, then baking with chicken stock, butter, garlic, Parmesan, and lemon zest, resulting in tender, flavorful noodles. The chicken is seasoned and cooked in a cast iron skillet with butter, producing a nicely seared breast that pairs well with the creamy, lemony pasta.

Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
50 mins
Servings: 4 people, generously
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

baked lemon pasta
  • 3 tablespoons butter unsalted
  • 16 ounces tiny-cut pasta examples: orzo, ditalini, farfallini
  • 2 garlic minced, cloves
  • salt kosher salt
  • black pepper kosher salt
  • 32 ounces chicken stock or vegetable stock
  • ½ cup Parmesan Cheese finely grated
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon zest depending on how lemony you like it, freshly grated
  • 3 tablespoons parsley chopped, fresh, or herbs
seared cast iron chicken breast
  • 1 pound chicken breast boneless, skinless
  • salt kosher salt
  • black pepper kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon oregano dried
  • 3 tablespoons butter unsalted

Instructions

baked lemon pasta
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Melt the butter in an oven-safe saute pan, skillet, braiser or dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in the pasta and cook for a few minutes, stirring often, so the pasta toasts. Stir in the garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper.
  3. Pour in 3 ½ cups of the stock, stirring to combine. Place the skillet in the oven, uncovered, and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the liquid is mostly absorbed and the pasta is tender.
  4. Remove the pan from the oven and stir in the remaining stock, the parmesan and the lemon zest. Place it back in the oven for 5 minutes. Don’t worry if it seems too liquidy - the pasta soaks up all the stock quickly! Stir in the chopped parsley.
seared cast iron chicken breast
  1. While the pasta is in the oven, heat the cast iron skillet over medium heat. Pat the chicken breast dry with a paper towel and season it all over with the salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano.
  2. Add the butter to the skillet. Once melted and sizzling, add in the chicken. Cook it on one side until deeply golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip it and cook for an additional 5 minutes, not moving it so it gets that golden brown
  3. Place the skillet in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then slice and serve with the pasta!