Allow me to introduce one of the favorite meals in my home: Chicken Piccata Pasta. This dish is absolutely delightful. The traditional Italian lemon caper sauce is combined with pasta and topped with crispy fried chicken breasts. Its flavor is exquisite and incredibly enjoyable!
You can’t go wrong with this recipe. It’s a universal favorite. I genuinely believe that nobody would refuse this dish. My kids adore it, and the chicken is truly exceptional. It’s wonderfully crispy yet juicy, making it an ideal protein to complement the pasta.
Now, let’s discuss the sauce. Lemon caper sauce is as good as it gets. It’s not only easy to prepare, but it’s the essence of this meal. Just pour it over everything and you’ll be thrilled, I assure you!
This sauce comes together in approximately 10-15 minutes and can be prepared in advance and kept in the refrigerator. I’m a big advocate for meal prepping to streamline the cooking process. Spacing out the tasks reduces stress and makes it more enjoyable to get dinner ready!
Chicken Piccata Pasta may appear simple, but its flavor is far more intricate. The lemon and capers bring a zesty kick, while the butter and chicken stock provide a creamy consistency to the sauce. The crispy chicken offers great texture to the entire dish, while being quite tasty on its own.
As mentioned, this is a fabulous meal worth every minute you invest in it!
Enjoy!
Yield: 4
A traditional Italian dish featuring crispy chicken topped with a lemon caper sauce and served over a bed of pasta.
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Total Time
40 minutes
Ingredients
- 6 thin chicken breasts (or 3 thick ones, halved)
- 2 eggs mixed with 2 tablespoons water, beaten
- 2-3 cups seasoned panko bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons capers, drained
- 3 tablespoons butter
- Fresh parsley
- Salt
- Pepper
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Olive oil
- 1 pound pasta of your choice
Instructions
- To prepare the lemon caper sauce, drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and add the onion. Sauté for a few minutes until it becomes translucent. Then, add minced garlic and sauté for a few more minutes, careful not to burn it.
- Next, incorporate chicken stock, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Allow it to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Finish the sauce by adding capers, butter, and chopped fresh parsley. Adjust seasoning to taste, adding salt and pepper as desired.
- For the chicken, pat it dry with a paper towel and season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Set up your dredging station with three shallow bowls for the egg wash, flour, and bread crumbs.
- Dip each chicken breast in flour, then egg, and finally breadcrumbs. Set aside until ready to cook.
- To cook the chicken, heat enough olive oil in a large sauté pan to cover the bottom. Place the pan over medium heat and let it warm up. Once hot, add the chicken breasts and cook for about 4 minutes on each side. Reduce heat if necessary to avoid burning. The chicken should cook quickly since it is thinly sliced. Drain cooked chicken on paper towels while cooking the rest.
- You can start boiling the pasta while the chicken is cooking, following the package instructions. Before draining, reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water to add to the dish later.
- When everything is ready, pour 3/4 of the lemon caper sauce and the reserved pasta water over the pasta and mix. Serve the remaining lemon caper sauce alongside the meal to pour over the chicken. Garnish with parsley and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Notes
This meal is absolutely wonderful. One of our top choices! While it does take some effort, you can simplify the process by prepping everything in advance and having a clear plan for dredging and cooking the chicken. This makes everything move along more smoothly. Clean up as you go to make the process easier at the end. You can prepare this meal ahead of time and reheat it in a 350-degree oven until warmed through. You can also prepare the lemon caper sauce a day ahead to minimize cooking time.
