This easy lemony Italian Chicken Artichoke pasta cooks in the time it takes to boil the noodles with very little prep work. The quick and easy dish is packed with fresh flavor, and it’s a great choice for busy nights when you don’t have a lot of time to cook.
Made with flavorful ingredients like shallots, fresh lemon juice, artichoke hearts and pre-cooked Italian chicken sausage, this chicken artichoke pasta wins high praise for flavor and convenience.
The cooking and prep times are minimal. Just a little bit of chopping, followed by some quick sauteeing of the “sauce” or toppings while the pasta cooks and dinner is on the table in 20 minutes or less.
Serve the chicken and artichoke pasta with garlic bread and an Italian side salad for a fulfilling meal. Pair it with a lemony treat for dessert.
Italian Chicken sausage artichoke can be served any time of the year, but I really enjoy the combination of light and fresh flavors during spring and summer months.
You can scroll to the end of this post for the full recipe and ingredient list. But you may want to keep reading for more tips on how to make it.
This is a sponsored post for al fresco Pasta Night Mild Italian Style Chicken Sausage, but all opinions are my own. Read my full disclosure policy here.
To Make Lemon Chicken Artichoke Pasta, You Will Need:
- Pasta – I used regular penne pasta for this recipe, but you can substitue any shape or type of noodle you like, including whole wheat pasta
- al fresco Pasta Night Mild Italian Style Chicken Sausage – This fully-cooked, healthy chicken sausage adds lots of flavor to the chicken artichoke pasta, and it’s key to getting this meal on the table quickly.
- Red Onion – Thinly sliced red onions add lots of flavor to this dish
- Shallots – While they’re similar to red onions, shallots have a sweeter, more subtle flavor
- Artichoke Hearts – Look for quartered artichoke hearts, packed in water, not oil
- Tomatoes – Grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half, are what I use. But you could also substitute chopped Roma tomatoes
- Lemon Juice – Freshly squeezed lemon juice will give you the best, freshest flavor.
- Olive Oil – Choose a high-quality olive oil for sauteeing and added flavor
- Shredded Parmesan Cheese – Use as an optional garnish for the pasta
How to Make Italian Chicken Sausage & Artichoke Pasta
- Prep the recipe by thinly slicing the shallot and red onion, slicing the tomatoes in half and roughly chopping the artichoke hearts.
- Slice the al fresco Pasta Night Mild Italian Chicken Sausage into 1/4-inch coins.
- While the pasta is cooking, saute the onions and shallots in a large skillet in olive oil until tender. Next, add the sliced chicken sausage, stirring frequently to brown on all sides.
- Add the artichoke hearts to the saute pan and cook for several minutes, then add the tomatoes and cook until they have just softened.
- When the pasta is ready, drain in a colander, making sure to reserve a cup of pasta water for the sauce.
- Add the juice of half a lemon and the pasta water to the chicken sausage and vegetable mixture, scraping up any browned bits.
- Toss the pasta with the vegetables and sausage until everything is well mixed, and the penne is coated with the lemony sauce. You can add more freshly squeezed lemon juice, if you like.
- Serve garnished with freshly shredded Parmesan cheese. parsley and lemon wedges.
Variations
If you’re looking for a hands-off recipe, you can toss the sausage and the vegetables in olive oil and roast then together on a sheet pan. That’s a great thing about this particular variety of al fresco chicken sausage. Since it’s fully cooked, it easy to quickly heat up on stove top, grill, or in the microwave.
You can switch up the vegetables you use in this chicken artichoke pasta dish, depending on personal preference and what you have in the refrigerator.
Spinach makes a nice addition because we all know how well spinach pairs with artichokes.
In place of onion or tomatoes, you could substitute red or green peppers. The fresh peppers pair well with the Italian spices and red and green peppers in the al fresco chicken sausage.
Broccoli is another great veggie option, or try it with asparagus.
Tips for Leftovers & Meal Prepping
This is a great recipe to make ahead or to use for meal prepping because it makes a lot of servings.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave. (It may be helpful to add a Tablespoon of water or a teaspoon of olive oil to each serving before reheating to keep the pasta from being too dry.)
The Italian chicken artichoke pasta is also suprisingly good served cold.
More Easy Weeknight Meals
- One Pot Easy Arroz con Pollo
- Easy Parmesan Chicken
- Strawberry Bacon Mozzarella Flatbread Pizza
- Easy Pasta with Vegetables
If you try Lemony Italian Chicken Artichoke Pasta or any recipe on Atta Girl Says, please come back and share your 5-star rating in the comments below! I appreciate it, and my readers do, too!
Lemony Italian Chicken & Artichoke Pasta
Ingredients
- 16 ounces penne pasta
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 12 ounces al fresco Pasta Night Mild Italian Style Chicken Sausage sliced into 1/4" coins
- 14 ounces artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed and chopped
- 1/2 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- shredded parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Thinly slice the shallots and red onion.
- Wash the tomatoes and slice them in half.
- Drain, rinse and coarsely chop the artichoke hearts.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. When the water boils, add 1 Tablespoon of salt and the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water to use in the sauce.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.
- Saute the onions and shallots for 5 minutes, until softened.
- Add the sliced chicken sausage and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently and browning on all sides.
- Add the artichoke hearts to the pan and saute for 2 minutes.
- Next, add the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes more, until the tomatoes begin to soften. Stir frequently.
- Add the reserved pasta water and fresh juice from 1/2 of a lemon to the saute pan, scraping up the browned bits.
- Add the cooked pasta to the pan and toss to coat with sauce.
- Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add more freshly squeezed lemon juice, if preferred.
- Serve with freshly shredded Parmesan cheese.
Nutrition
PIN THIS! Lemony Italian Chicken Artichoke Pasta
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