Creamy Lemon-Basil Chicken Thigh Rigatoni
with Zucchini & Scallions
- Wheat
- Milk
Dark meat chicken and tender zucchini are seared in a pan, then simmered in a creamy sauce made with cream cheese, basil paste, and a splash of pasta water until velvety and thick. Al dente rigatoni is tossed in to coat, then finished with bright lemon zest and juice. Sliced scallion greens and extra lemon wedges on the side add a fresh, zesty finish.
Ingredients
6 ounce
Rigatoni Pasta
(Contains: Wheat)
1 unit
Zucchini
10 ounce
Diced Chicken Thighs
2 tablespoon
Cream Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
4 ounce
Cream Sauce Base
(Contains: Milk)
1 unit
Lemon
2 unit
Scallions
1 teaspoon
Garlic Powder
1 ounce
Basil Paste
Not included in your delivery
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
1 teaspoon (tsp)
Cooking Oil
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce.
Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens. Trim and halve zucchini lengthwise; slice crosswise into ½-inch-thick half-moons. Zest and quarter lemon.
Once water is boiling, add rigatoni to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes.
Reserve ¾ cup pasta cooking water, then drain.
While pasta cooks, heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add diced chicken, scallion whites, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is lightly browned, 4-6 minutes.
Add zucchini and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until zucchini is tender and chicken is cooked through, 3-4 minutes more.
Stir in cream sauce base, cream cheese, basil paste, and ¼ cup pasta cooking water (½ cup for 4 servings). Simmer until slightly thickened, 1-2 minutes.
Reduce heat to low. To pan with sauce, add drained rigatoni and as much lemon juice and lemon zest as you like (we used the juice from one wedge and a pinch of zest; two wedges and a large pinch of zest for 4 servings). Toss to coat. (TIP: If needed, stir in additional reserved pasta cooking water a splash at a time until everything is coated in a creamy sauce.) Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired.
Divide pasta between shallow bowls. Top with scallion greens. Serve with any remaining lemon wedges on the side.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Sep 2026- Flavor: The basil and lemon combination earned real praise, with the creamy sauce and fresh basil standing out as highlights. Some found the dish bland overall; adding extra lemon juice and red pepper flakes helped boost flavor 🌶️.
- Ease of prep: Instructions were clear and the dish came together without much fuss.
- Suggestions: Add red pepper flakes during cooking for more depth; some also stirred in extra fresh basil for a brighter finish.
- Leftovers: No notable feedback on leftovers from reviewers.
Reviews from our home cooks
Love this meal and the dark meat chicken gave it a different flavor. I added more of my own fresh basil and it was great.
Instructions were clear but the recipe took more time to prepare than suggested. We enjoyed the flavors but the sauce didn't thicken as much as we expected
Nice new recipe. I'm not a fan of pesto, but the amount in this dish was subtle.
Need a little bit more flavor so we added extra lemon juice and red pepper flake while we were cooking
