You really can’t go wrong with this Lemon Garlic Basil Butter Spaghetti with Chicken Meatballs for dinner! The spaghetti is so easy to whip up with pantry staples and the chicken meatballs are freezer friendly so make a batch then freeze them for when you need them!
Easy Lemon Garlic Basil Butter Spaghetti with Chicken Meatballs
If you follow me on Instagram (@carmyshungry if you’re not!), I had uploaded a quick spaghetti recipe not too long ago that I’d whip together with pantry staples. This is a riff off that since I didn’t have lemon or basil on hand last time! This easy lemon garlic basil butter spaghetti is one of my go-to recipes whenever I don’t have a stocked fridge and am not sure what to make.
I almost always have garlic, butter, lemon, and a bag of spaghetti on hand so it’s easy to throw together when in a pinch. Pairing the noodles with my freezer friendly chicken meatballs makes this recipe one of my favourites since it takes next to no work to get a last minute dinner together. Plus, it makes for the perfect meal prep for those who isn’t a big fan of (reheating) saucy noodles!
How to make the easiest chicken meatballs ever
- Heat the oven to 400F.
- While the oven is heating, mix together the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, panko, parmesan cheese, and one egg together and then mix it into the ground chicken. Optional: a drizzle of olive oil (highly recommend!). Do not over mix.
- Shape the meatballs (I used my cookie scooper to portion out my meatballs so they’re the same sized to make sure they cook evenly). As your meatballs will get denser as they cook, avoid overpacking/over-rolling your meat.
- On a sheet pan, place a piece of parchment paper or spray with non-stick, then place your meatballs on the sheet pan without over crowding them. Pop them into the oven for around 25 minutes or until they’re cooked through.
How to make the Lemon Garlic Basil Butter Spaghetti
I know some people aren’t a huge fan of using butter because they want something lightly – you are more than welcome to substitute with a lighter oil of your choice but these noodles are super delicious with butter and I personally believe that a little butter here and there won’t do any harm ;)!
- Bring a salted pot of water to a boil before dropping your spaghetti in. (I put in around 8 to 10 ounces which amounts to a little over 5 cups of noodles when cooked – I eyeballed it to be honest. measuring spaghetti is a pain!)
- Cook your noodles to the direction on the packet then drain them, saving around a cup of pasta water for later.
- In a large skillet, melt your butter and add your garlic in, the more garlic the better!
- Once the garlic has soften, add in your noodles, coating them in the butter. Then add the juice of a whole lemon and lemon zest. Add a tbsp or two of your pasta water if needed. Once everything is mixed together, stir in some chopped basil and top of a generous helping of parmesan cheese!
- Note: if you want it to be a little bit more creamy or if your noodles are getting stuck together, add a little bit more of the pasta water.
- Once done, combine with the chicken meatballs and serve.
Other Things To Pair This Lemon Garlic Basil Butter Spaghetti With
- Spicy Honey Garlic Scallop
- zucchini, yellow squash, grape/cherry tomatoes
- roasted broccolini
- Easy Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Sweet Potato, Bacon, and Almonds
- mushrooms, peas, prosciutto
Lemon Garlic Basil Butter Spaghetti with Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
Chicken Meatballs
- 2 lbs chicken
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1.5 tsp pepper
- 1.5 tsp garlic powder
- 1.5 tsp onion powder
- 1.5 tsp paprika
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup panko
- 1/2 cup parmesan
- 1 drizzle olive oil optional
Lemon Garlic Basil Butter Spaghetti
- 9 oz spaghetti
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp garlic
- 1 juice of lemon
- 1 zest of lemon
- 2 tbsp pasta water
- parmesan, the more the merrier
- 1 handful basil
Instructions
Chicken Meatballs
- Heat the oven to 400F
- While the oven is heating, mix together the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, panko, parmesan cheese, and one egg (optional: drizzle of olive oil) together and then mix it into the ground chicken. Do not over mix.
- Shape the meatballs (I used my little cookie scooper to portion out my meatballs so they’re the same sized to make sure they cook evenly). As your meatballs will get denser as they cook, avoid overpacking/over-rolling your meat.
- On a sheet pan, place a piece of parchment paper or spray with non-stick, then place your meatballs on the sheet pan without over crowding them. Pop them into the oven for around 25 minutes or until they're cooked through.
Lemon Garlic Basil Butter Spaghetti
- Bring a salted pot of water to a boil before dropping your spaghetti in.
- Cook your noodles to the direction on the packet then drain them, saving around a cup of pasta water for later.
- In a large skillet, melt your butter and add your garlic in, the more garlic the better!
- Once the garlic has soften, add in your noodles, coating them in the butter. Then add the juice of a whole lemon and lemon zest. Add a tbsp or two of your pasta water if needed. Once everything is mixed together, stir in some chopped basil and top of a generous helping of parmesan cheese!
- Once done, combine with the chicken meatballs and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
RESOURCES AND TIPS FOR MEAL PREPPING
- How To Cook Chicken Breasts Perfectly
- What Is An Instant Pot
- Tips To Help You Meal Prep For The Week Successfully
- Tips for Meal Prepping on a Budget
- 7 Freezer Friendly Chicken Marinades
- 5 Freezer Friendly Marinades
Other places to connect with me
Instagram: @carmyshungry
Twitter: https://twitter.com/runcarmyrun
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carmyycom
Email: [email protected]
Vlogs/Recipe Videos: Youtube
Marisa Franca says
What a great switch on regular meatballs and a mighty tasty pasta recipe. We always have meatballs in our freezer. It’s a staple and I start panicking when we are running low. Now I’ll take our regular meatballs and add the rest of your scrumptious ingredients. I’ve never tried chicken meatballs but your recipe is inspiring me to give it a go.