Description
Chicken Piccata Pasta is a delightful Italian-inspired dish featuring tender chicken pieces coated in a light flour crust, sautéed to golden perfection, and combined with al dente bow tie pasta. The rich, tangy sauce made with butter, lemon juice, capers, garlic, and shallots ties the dish together beautifully. This recipe is perfect for a quick yet elegant weeknight dinner with fresh parsley adding a touch of brightness.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Pasta and Chicken:
- 12 ounces bow tie (farfalle) or other short pasta
- 1¼ to 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into ½-inch chunks
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour, plus more if necessary
For Cooking and Sauce:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large shallot, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1½ cups chicken stock
- ¼ cup lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)
- 2 tablespoons drained capers
- Roughly chopped parsley, for serving
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: In a large pot of generously salted boiling water, cook the bow tie pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water before draining the pasta completely.
- Prepare the chicken: While the pasta cooks, cut the chicken into ½-inch chunks and place them in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss with the ¼ cup of all-purpose flour until evenly coated. Add more flour if necessary to prevent pieces from sticking together.
- Brown the chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Once the butter is melted and bubbling, add the chicken chunks in a single layer, working in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding. Stir occasionally to separate any sticking pieces, cooking until golden and cooked through. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Make the sauce: Reduce heat to medium-high. Add the chopped shallot and garlic to the skillet and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in 1½ cups of chicken stock and simmer until reduced by half, roughly 3 to 5 minutes. Lower the heat and stir in the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter, lemon juice, and capers, melting the butter into the sauce.
- Combine and serve: Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Return the cooked chicken to the skillet, then add the drained pasta and toss thoroughly to coat everything in the sauce. If the sauce seems too thick, add small splashes of reserved pasta water to loosen it. Remove from heat and garnish with roughly chopped parsley and extra black pepper as desired before serving.
Notes
- You can substitute chicken thighs for breasts for more flavor and moisture.
- Use fresh lemon juice instead of bottled for the best taste.
- If you prefer a thicker sauce, reduce the chicken stock further before adding butter.
- Capers add a briny tang; rinse them if you want a milder flavor.
- Reserve pasta water is a starchy liquid that helps the sauce adhere better to the pasta.
