Linguine with Green Onion Chicken
Green onion chicken with linguine is celebrated for its delightful blend of flavors and simplicity. In this dish, tender chicken is paired with a gentle bite of green onions and enveloped in a creamy, savory sauce that clings perfectly to each strand of linguine.
The dish is crafted with ingredients commonly found in kitchens, making it ideal for a weeknight meal that is both comforting and gourmet.
Preparation begins with chicken breasts, which are carefully seasoned and seared until golden brown. Green onions are then sautéed to release their aromatic flavors, infusing the dish with a mild, oniony sweetness.
Cream and broth are combined to form a rich sauce, enhanced by subtle seasonings to bring a balanced taste. Finally, the sauce is tossed with freshly cooked linguine, allowing each piece of pasta to absorb the dish’s essence.
This green onion chicken with linguine is best served warmly, with extra green onions or a hint of Parmesan. Whether prepared for a cozy family dinner or a casual gathering, this dish is sure to satisfy with its unique combination of flavors and textures.
Contributing Writer Marlee C.
My neighbor Marlee is back with a new (old) recipe she tried at home from one of her parent's old Bon Appétit cooking magazines. Marlee is new to cooking and has been working on her techniques and repertoire.
I asked her to spell out what she did and why, and I think you will enjoy her results. I can't wait to prepare this myself. Here's what Marlee had to say:
This dish is particularly special to me because it has been in my family for decades. It comes from the June 1989 issue of Bon Appétit magazine.
My family has subscribed to Bon Appétit for as long as I can remember, and they save every issue they get, making notes of their favorite recipes on the inside. My parents have been cooking this recipe my whole life, and last week, I decided to try making it myself for the first time.
I cooked it for two family members and myself. I decided to share this recipe with you today because it's super easy to make and delicious. How can you go wrong with green onions and cream?
While I found this recipe to be a huge success, I do have a few things I would have done differently:
- The original recipe says to sauté the chicken breasts whole and slice them afterward, which I followed. My parents later told me it's faster and easier to cut the chicken and then sauté it. It took me up to 25 minutes to thoroughly cook the chicken and get it to an internal temperature close to 165°F (the recommended temperature of doneness for chicken) because I had very thick chicken breasts.
- I forgot to season my chicken with salt and pepper before sautéing and remembered halfway through. I immediately seasoned, but don't make the same mistake; the season before you cook. The salt needs time to dissolve and mingle with the juices from the chicken.
- Make sure to plan out your cooking so that everything finishes simultaneously. I started cooking the pasta while my chicken was still cooking because I thought my chicken would have been done faster than it was. I had my pasta finished a few minutes before everything else, and although it wasn't a huge deal, it was not preferred.
- Be careful if you are making this dish for fewer people and would like to cut the portions down. I cut the servings in half, and it turned out well, but I noticed that my sauce was a little heavier than I would have liked. I should have added more broth to the mixture. You can taste-test your sauce before turning off the heat or measuring it correctly. A taste test is probably your best option.
- This recipe calls for ¾ cup pasta, which, if you're cooking for four people, may be enough or not. It all depends on personal preference. For three Italians who love pasta, we nearly finished the entire bowl. If you like leftovers, go for the whole box of pasta (usually 1 pound). But this means you may have to add more ingredients here and there.
- The original recipe in the magazine used green pasta (most likely some spinach pasta) as an eye-catcher to make the dish more colorful. Cream, cheese, chicken, and plain pasta are all a similar color. It still tastes good, regardless!
📖 Recipe
Green Onion Chicken with Linguine Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 chicken breast halves skinned and cut into chunks
- 4 tablespoons butter ½ stick
- 2 large shallots minced
- ½ cup chicken stock or canned low-salt broth
- 2 cups light cream
- 1¼ cups Romano cheese freshly grated
- 6 shallots chopped
- ¾ pound green linguine or fettuccine
- Romano cheese freshly grated - to taste
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200° F and stick an oven-safe plate in it.
- Bring a large stockpot of salted water to a boil, getting ready to cook the pasta. This should take 5-10 minutes, giving you time to cook the chicken and ensure that everything finishes around the same time.
- Over medium-low heat get a 10-inch skillet hot and then melt 2 tablespoons of butter.
- Season all sides of your chicken with salt and pepper.
- Add the chicken to the skillet and sauté until cooked, flipping occasionally. This should take a few minutes on each side.
- When your chicken is done, remove your plate from the oven and place the chicken on it. Tent the chicken with aluminum foil to keep warm and set aside.
- Toss the linguine or fettuccine in the boiling salted water. I used linguine, but both pastas will be al dente between 7-10 minutes. I usually take 1-2 minutes off the time the box tells me to make sure I get that perfect al dente texture.
- Place large oven-safe serving bowl into the oven to warm.
- Add minced shallots to the skillet you were just cooking the chicken in and stir around for 1 minute. If you find that your chicken soaked up most of the butter from before, you can add a tablespoon or less of butter to the pan at this step.
- Add chicken stock or broth to the skillet and raise the heat to a boil. Reduce this down to a glaze, takes around 4-5 minutes. I used commercial canned chicken broth.
- Add cream to the glaze and boil until a thicker consistency, stirring occasionally. The sauce will be ideal thickness after about 5 minutes. I may have added a little extra cream at this step, just for the fun of it. The recipe called for whipping cream, but I went on the light side.
- Add your freshly grated Romano cheese and green onions (shallots) to the mixture and stir until the cheese melts and everything blends and thickens.
- Also, for some added flavor, add the juices that have gathered on your chicken plate. Season all of this with a little pepper.
- Once your pasta has finished cooking, transfer it to your heated large serving bowl. Add your remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and mix around until the butter fully melts.
- Place your chicken on top of the pasta and finally pour your sauce mixture over both the chicken and pasta.
- Serve immediately with freshly grated Romano cheese on the side.
Notes
Some of My Favorite Pasta Recipes
- Creamy Gochujang Gnocchi Recipe: A Spicy-Sweet Delight
- Cacio e Pepe Classic Recipe
- Discover the Rustic Charm of Tuscan Pici Pasta
- How to Make a Basic Orzo Salad Recipe
- This Is How to Make Spicy Ragu Sauce Over Pasta
- Cavatelli Pasta
- Cavatelli Pasta with Spring Peas and Pancetta Recipe
- Bucatini all'Amatriciana Recipe
Patricia
Mmmmm. Thank you for your sharing this great recipe, along with your tips and photos. I'm a pretty boring (and lazy) cook - I grew up on a ranch where we ate steak & potatoes nearly every night - and this seems approachable to me! Downside - after seeing your pics, I'm starving & it's only 1:30 in the afternoon. [sigh]
Hi Patricia, you are very welcome and I'm hoping we see more recipes from Marlee as she experiments with her cooking. For your information, I had to go eat something after posting this recipe. - RG
Candace
What a beautiful and delicious looking meal! I am saving this one to try the next time that I have guests. My husband is already thanking you! Have a great weekend,
Candace
Thanks Candace and let me know how it turns out for you - RG
Grace
This recipe looks delicious! Definitely a crowd pleaser, thanks for sharing this Marlee. I really like how you also shared with us what you would have done differently. Great tips.
Hi Grace, thanks for your comments. I'll be sure to tell Marlee. Give it a try sometime and let us know your results. - RG
Rene
I just found your Blog and I love it! I can't wait to try Marlee's recipe since I'm always looking for a good chicken and pasta recipe.I just have one question about it though....What is light cream? I have seen both whipping cream or heavy whipping cream but I can find any thing that says light cream. Help!
Hi Rene, a lot of folks outside the US ask me about half and half but this is the first time I've been asked to explain light cream. Thank you for giving me this opportunity. Light cream, also called coffee or table cream, contains about 18% to 30% butterfat but is usually around 20%. It is not for whipping. Half and Half is typically 10% to 18% butterfat, whipping cream is 30% to 36% butterfat and heavy whipping cream is 36% or more. You can usually find all these creams in your local supermarket. - RG
Marc
We too have made this recipe numerous times since it first appeared in the June 1989 issue of Bon Appetit. It is easy to make and is an elegant entree for entertaining or just to put something different on the dinner table. Marlee's observation of salting and peppering the chicken prior to sauteing is spot-on. My experience is that the chicken is juicier if it is sauteed whole then sliced as in the original recipe as opposed to sauteing sliced pieces of chicken. I have also used 8oz of whipping cream and 8oz of light cream in the sauce instead of 16 oz of whipping cream with the same results.
janis melton
Hello I seen your receipt an I'm going to try it I make one that's similar to yours but I add mushrooms and use heavy whipping cream and either I use low sodium chicken broth or you can use a white wine, and I use penne noodles and of course parmesan cheese thank you
Robert Brett
This dish is absolutely delicious… yet I was a little confused. In the list of ingredients you call for:
* 2 large shallots or Scallions (green onions) – minced
And further down…
* 1 bunch Scallions (green onions) – chopped
In the directions, you direct us to “Add shallots, or ‘green onions’ to the skillet you were just cooking the chicken in and stir around for 1 minute.”
Then near the end, you direct us to “Add your freshly grated Romano cheese and ‘green onions’ to the mixture and stir until the cheese melts and everything blends and thickens.”
Which measure of green onions should I have added where?
Thank you,
Robert Brett
Olympia, WA
G. Stephen Jones
You are absolutely right Robert. A little confusing. I think Marlee was trying to say if you didn't have shallots, you could substitute green onions or scallions. I would suggest using shallots. Because this dish is called Green Onion Chicken with Linguine I would go with a bunch of medium sized scallions (green onions) which amounts to about 6 of them. These get added with the Romano cheese.
Not to be more confusing, I might reserve about half of one scallion, mince it finely, and use it to garnish the dish at the end.
Thanks for pointing this out. I've made changes to my website.