Crispy Parmesan Asparagus Chicken Pasta (Printable)

Tender chicken and roasted asparagus in creamy lemon-Parmesan sauce with golden crispy topping.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne or rigatoni pasta

→ Chicken

02 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into strips
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
05 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
06 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Asparagus

07 - 1 bunch asparagus, woody ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
08 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
09 - 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
10 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
11 - 1/4 cup grated Asiago cheese

→ Sauce

12 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
13 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
14 - Zest of 1 lemon
15 - Juice of 1 lemon, approximately 2 tablespoons
16 - 1 cup heavy cream
17 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
18 - Salt and pepper to taste
19 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F.
02 - Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain and set aside.
03 - Toss asparagus pieces with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper on a baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and Asiago cheese. Sprinkle mixture evenly over asparagus and roast for 10 to 12 minutes until crisp-tender with golden topping.
04 - Season chicken strips with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté chicken until golden and cooked through, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
05 - In the same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and lemon zest, sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in lemon juice and heavy cream, bringing to a simmer. Reduce heat, add Parmesan cheese, and stir until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
06 - Add cooked pasta and chicken to the skillet, tossing to coat thoroughly. If needed, add reserved pasta water in small splashes until sauce reaches desired consistency.
07 - Gently fold in roasted asparagus with its crispy topping. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The panko-Asiago crust on asparagus stays crunch even after tossing with the creamy sauce, which honestly feels like magic.
  • Lemon juice and zest brighten everything without making it taste acidic or one-dimensional.
  • You can have dinner on the table in under 45 minutes, yet it tastes like you fussed way more than you actually did.
02 -
  • Don't cook the asparagus and chicken together—they need different temperatures and timings, and combining them leads to either raw chicken or mushy asparagus.
  • The panko-cheese topping needs to go on asparagus before roasting, not after, because it won't crisp up the same way if you add it cold to a hot finished dish.
  • Taste your sauce and adjust salt and pepper before adding the pasta because once everything combines, it's harder to fix the seasoning.
03 -
  • Slice chicken breasts evenly by placing your hand flat on top and slicing horizontally—this creates uniform pieces that cook at exactly the same rate.
  • Fresh lemon zest makes an enormous difference; microplane it directly into the butter so the oils stay bright and don't sit in a bowl oxidizing.
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