I’m giving up pasta for Lent. There I said it; it’s real now. Instant regret. I feel cold and dead inside already. It’s okay, I could use the weight loss.
In memoriam, today’s post is an ode to one of the most amazing Italian pasta dishes known to mankind: Chicken Piccata. Delicious is a complete understatement. The mild acidity of the lemon, the tang of the capers, the deep chicken flavor echoing throughout the dish… yea. It’s all of that and more.
Chicken Piccata starts with a thin chicken breast. You can use a mallet to pound out the breast between two pieces of plastic wrap, or you can butterfly the breast completely through to create two thinner pieces. I like to butterfly all of the chicken breasts that I purchase before I freeze them. Not only does this save on money in the long run, but it speeds up the cooking process and makes me feel less like the middle might still be raw when I’m done. It’s a legitimate fear!
You’ll also need your choice of pasta. Spaghetti or Angel Hair works best, but any variety can be used. The recipe is rounded off with diced onion, minced garlic, capers, lemon juice (store bought is fine, but fresh is best!), flour, butter, olive oil, and chicken broth (you can use a dry white wine in place of chicken broth).
First things first, bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta (R.I.P.) while you prep and cook the chicken. Add a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high. Pat the chicken breasts dry, sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides, and coat each side in flour.
Once the skillet is hot, cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes on one side, and 2-3 minutes on the other.
The chicken should be cooked through at this point, as we will only be putting it back into the sauce for a minute or so when everything is done. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.
Your water should be boiling by now, so throw that pasta right in. Actually, don’t throw it. Be gentle with it. Pasta didn’t do anything to you.
If needed, add a little more oil to the pan and add the diced onion. I like to switch to a whisk at this point because you want to really try to get all of the little scrumptious bits up off the bottom of the pan so we don’t leave any flavor behind. After about 2-3 minutes, when the onion is translucent, add in the minced garlic and capers. Give this a pinch of salt and pepper, and saute everything together for about another minute or so.
Now let’s get our delectable sauce really going. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice to the pan and bring all of this goodness to a simmer. If the sauce looks too thin after 3 or 4 minutes I usually add a little butter and a little flour; there is no exact amount, you will just need to eyeball it. Also keep in mind that it will thicken as it cools, so don’t go overboard! Place the chicken in the sauce and let it simmer for about a minute and remove the pan from the heat.
Drain the pasta and make a nice bed of it on your plate (I could totally go for a bed of pasta right now), and toss in some of the sauce. Lay the chicken on top of the pasta, and pour a little more sauce over the top of everything.
That, my friends, is heaven on Earth. And what I will be dreaming of for the next forty days. I wonder when the withdrawals will set in. I’ll keep you updated.
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2
- 2 Chicken Breasts (or 1 butterflied in half)
- ½ lb. of Pasta (your choice)
- 1 cup Flour
- 1 cup Chicken Broth
- ¼ cup Capers
- 2 tbsp. Lemon Juice (fresh or bottled)
- 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp. Butter
- ½ cup diced Onion
- 1 clove of Garlic, minced
- Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta.
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet on medium-high heat.
- Pound out your chicken breasts, or butterfly one breast to create 2 thinner breasts.
- Season both sides of the breasts with salt and pepper, and dredge in the flour.
- Cook the chicken for about 3-4 minutes on one side, and another 2-3 minutes on the other (or until cooked through). Remove the chicken and set aside.
- Add your choice of pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package instructions
- While the pasta cooks, add the diced onion to the pan the chicken was in (without rinsing or cleaning it out; add a little bit of oil if necessary).
- Cook the onions for about 2-3 minutes, then add the minced garlic and capers and cook for another minute or so. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the chicken broth and lemon juice and let simmer for 3-4 minutes. Stir with a whisk and make sure to get all of the bits off the bottom of the pan.
- If your sauce is too thin add a little butter and flour. Start with a teaspoon or less of each; remember the sauce will thicken when it cools.
- Drain your pasta and remove the sauce from heat. Plate the pasta tossed in some of the sauce, and the chicken on top of the pasta with sauce poured over the top.