Cowboy Butter Chicken Linguine

cowboybutterlinguine Cowboy Butter Chicken Linguine is tender strips of chicken and al dente pasta tossed in a creamy, zesty sauce made with cowboy butter, heavy cream and crushed red pepper. It’s a delicious pasta dish that can be on the table in about 30 minutes.

1 Tbsp. sea salt
12 oz linguine
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
¼ cup (4 Tbsp). cowboy butter, divided (57 g)
¾ cup heavy cream (178. 5 g)
1 tsp. garlic salt
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

To Serve:
½ tsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
½ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook until al dente according to pkg instructions. Drain pasta and set aside.

To a large skillet over medium-high heat, add oil. Once hot, add the chicken in a single layer. Season chicken evenly with ground paprika, garlic salt, salt and pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes on one side, or until golden brown.

Nestle 2 Tbsp. cowboy butter into the skillet. Flip pieces of chicken and cook until browned and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F, another 3-4 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the pan. Place onto a plate and tent to keep warm.

Reduce heat to low. Add the rest of the cowboy butter, heavy cream, garlic salt and red pepper flakes. Use a spatula to scrape up the brown bits in the pan and stir until the butter has melted.

Add the cooked linguine and chicken to the skillet, tossing to coat in the sauce.

Add lemon juice. Stir to combine.

Serve the dish garnished with lemon slices and Parmesan cheese.

Makes 4 servings.

Cook's Notes:

Always salt your pasta water after it comes to a boil adding salt to cold water can pit your favourite pot. Let that pasta water get as salty as the sea.
Keep a bit of pasta water aside even after you think your sauce is perfect you never know when you'll need it.
The magic of compound butter lies in room temperature mixing butter, cold won't blend properly and warm butter won't hold air for that perfect texture.
Never walk away from browning butter those few seconds between perfect and burnt can sneak up on you.
Let your sauce reduce until it coats the back of a spoon and leaves a clean line when you run your finger through it this is called the napé test and ensures perfect consistency every time.
When cutting chicken, slice against the grain at a slight angle this makes each bite more tender and helps the meat hold onto more sauce.
Pasta: I used linguine to hold the sauce. But you could also use any pasta you have on hand. Or, make homemade shaped pasta to use.
Chicken: Cut up about a lb and a half of boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces. Try to keep the pieces as close to the same size as you can. This ensures even cooking. If preferred, you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Just make sure the chicken is fully cooked, reaching an internal temperature of 165°F. Season the chicken with ground paprika, garlic salt, salt and pepper.
Cowboy Butter: The star of this recipe is the cowboy butter. It is a compound butter made by blending various flavours, including herbs and spices, into butter. It has a touch of heat from cayenne and crushed red pepper flakes, making it perfect as a dip or spread, too. You will absolutely love it. And, since I have made it, I have been using it as often as possible, it is so good.
Heavy Cream: Heavy whipping cream gives the sauce some creaminess.
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: For a little heat to the dish, I added some crushed red pepper flakes. You could leave those out if you are not a fan. Or, add more if you want the sauce to be a little spicier.

Storage:

To store leftovers, first, let the dish cool to room temperature. Next, store the pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last up to 3-4 days.
Reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop. You may want to add a little water to keep it from drying out.