Chicken Piccata with Pasta

Serves	4
Total Time	40 minutes

	12	oz. fettucine or other medium-width pasta
	2	large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
	~	Salt and pepper to taste
	⅓	cup flour
	3	Tbsp. olive oil
	3	Tbsp. butter
	½	cup minced onion
	2	cloves garlic, minced
	1	cup chicken stock
	3	Tbsp. capers, drained
	~	Zest and juice of 1 large lemon (about ¼ cup juice)
	½	cup fresh parsley, minced
	½	cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Bring a stockpot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta while preparing the chicken.
Slice the chicken breasts, cutting on the bias, into pieces about 1-inch thick. Cover the pieces with plastic wrap and, using a meat pounder, pound them to a thickness of ½ inch. Remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle the pounded chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in flour and shake off any excess flour.
In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, heat about 2 tablespoons each of olive oil and butter. When the fats begin to foam, add the floured chicken pieces. Sauté the chicken for just a couple of minutes, until seared and browned; flip and cook the other side. When done, remove to a heatproof plate and place in a 200-degree oven to keep warm.
Add more olive oil and butter to the skillet if necessary, then sauté the onion and garlic until softened. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to pick up any browned bits from the chicken. Add the capers, lemon zest, and lemon juice and simmer until the sauce has reduced and thickened a bit. Add a bit more butter to the pan and cook, briefly, until the butter has dissolved.
Slice the chicken pieces crosswise and arrange them over individual portions of pasta. Pour the sauce over the chicken and pasta and garnish with parsley and cheese.

Read more about scallopine-style dishes in Kelly Myers’ “By the pound.”

This content is from the Culinate Kitchen collection.