Chicken Piccata Pasta Recipe

20 minute Chicken Piccata Pasta with tender chicken, fresh lemon juice, capers, Pecorino Romano cheese and preserved lemons.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: chicken pasta, pasta, piccata pasta

Servings:

Calories: 413kcal

Equipment

large deep skillet or saute pan

Ingredients

½ lb pasta (short shaped, such as Fusilli Bucati or Rotini)
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Diamond crystal salt (or ½ teaspoon table salt)
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 boneless skinless chicken breast cut into ½” pieces
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoon salted butter (cold)
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic peeled and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon caper brine
¾ cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)
2 tablespoon lemon juice fresh squeezed
1 tablespoon Preserved lemons (optional) (rinsed and finely chopped, seeds removed)
2 tablespoon capers
½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 cup reserved pasta water
chopped chives or flat leaf parsley, for garnish

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook according to package directions for al dente. Drain, and reserve 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. (Cook pasta while you prep the sauce for quicker timing)
2. Add flour to a large plate or bowl, and whisk in salt and pepper until well combined.
3. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces (about ½”), and coat in seasoned flour, shaking off any excess flour (you only want a light coating). Transfer to a plate.
4. Add olive oil to a deep skillet and heat over medium heat until shimmering, 2-3 minutes.
5. Add chicken, working in 2 batches, and cook undisturbed on the first side for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown. Flip over and cook 1-2 minutes more. Transfer cooked first batch of chicken to a plate and repeat with the second batch.
6. Once all chicken is browned and removed to a plate, add ½ of the butter (2 tbsp) to the pan and melt. Keep the remaining butter in the refrigerator until ready to use.
7. Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan with the melted butter, and cook until just fragrant, about.1 minute.
8. Add the wine and caper brine to the pan and stir, scraping up any browned bits. Cook 1-2 minutes until slightly reduced.
9. Add the chicken back (and any accumulated juices) back to the pan, and cook, stirring occasionally for 2 minutes.
10. Turn off heat, and add the remaining cold butter, lemon juice, preserved lemon and capers. Stir until glossy.
11. Add pasta and cheese, and a bit of reserved pasta water, and toss to coat.
12. Garnish with fresh chopped chives or parsley, and additional Pecorino Romano cheese, if desired.

Nutrition