Quick chicken piccata pasta (Printable Version)

Tender chicken with lemon caper sauce served over perfectly cooked pasta for a bright, tangy dinner in under 30 minutes.

# Ingredient List:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - ½ teaspoon salt
03 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper
04 - ½ cup all-purpose flour
05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
06 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

→ Sauce

07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - ½ cup dry white wine or chicken broth
09 - ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
10 - ¼ cup capers, drained and rinsed
11 - ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
12 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
13 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

→ Pasta

14 - 12 ounces spaghetti or linguine
15 - Salt for pasta water

→ Garnish

16 - Lemon slices
17 - Extra chopped parsley

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti or linguine according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup of pasta water.
02 - Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally to create 4 thin cutlets. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge in flour, shaking off excess.
03 - Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken cutlets and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil.
04 - Add minced garlic to the same skillet and sauté for 30 seconds. Deglaze with white wine, scraping up browned bits. Stir in lemon juice, capers, and chicken broth; simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until slightly reduced.
05 - Lower heat and whisk in 2 tablespoons unsalted butter until melted and sauce is glossy. Return chicken to the skillet and spoon sauce over cutlets.
06 - Add drained pasta to the skillet and toss gently to coat. Incorporate reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a silky sauce consistency.
07 - Plate pasta with chicken atop. Spoon additional sauce over and garnish with chopped parsley and lemon slices.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen when really you're done in 30 minutes flat.
  • The sauce is naturally bright and lemony without feeling heavy—it somehow feels both indulgent and light.
  • One skillet does most of the work, which means less cleanup and more time enjoying the meal.
02 -
  • Don't skip pounding or slicing the chicken thin—thick breasts won't cook through before the outside browns too much.
  • Reserve that pasta water before draining; a splash of it at the end ties the whole dish together with silky sauce instead of a puddle.
  • Taste the sauce before serving and adjust lemon juice or salt; this dish lives or dies by brightness, so don't be timid.
03 -
  • Let your chicken rest on the plate for two minutes after cooking so the juices stay inside rather than running into the pan.
  • Use a meat mallet to pound the chicken thin if you don't want to slice it; either way gives you that quick-cook advantage.
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