Quick Chicken Piccata Pasta (Print version)

Tender chicken breasts sautéed with lemon and capers over perfectly cooked pasta.

# What You Need:

→ 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 (approximately 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 (optional)

16 - Lemon slices
17 - Extra chopped fresh parsley

# How to Make:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti or linguine and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup of pasta water.
02 - Slice each chicken breast horizontally into two thin cutlets. Season both sides with salt and pepper, then lightly dredge in flour, shaking off excess.
03 - Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken cutlets and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove and tent with foil.
04 - In the same skillet, sauté minced garlic for 30 seconds. Deglaze with white wine or chicken broth, scraping up browned bits. Add lemon juice, capers, and chicken broth, simmering 2 to 3 minutes until slightly reduced.
05 - Reduce heat and whisk in 2 tablespoons unsalted butter until melted and sauce is glossy. Return chicken to skillet, spooning sauce over each piece.
06 - Add drained pasta to skillet and toss gently to coat. Incorporate reserved pasta water as needed to loosen sauce and achieve desired consistency.
07 - Plate pasta topped with chicken cutlets. Spoon additional sauce over and garnish with fresh parsley and lemon slices.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • It's ready faster than ordering delivery, and tastes infinitely better.
  • The bright, tangy sauce transforms simple chicken into something restaurant-worthy.
  • One skillet, minimal cleanup, maximum flavor—what's not to love on a busy night.
02 -
  • Don't skip the step of scraping up the browned bits when you deglaze—that fond is pure flavor and it dissolves into your sauce.
  • Reserving pasta water is the secret to silky Italian sauces; a tablespoon or two binds everything together and prevents the dish from feeling too saucy or too dry.
  • Thin, even cutlets cook faster and more evenly than thick pieces, so don't skip the butterfly step.
03 -
  • Don't crowd the pan when searing chicken; if your skillet is small, cook the cutlets one at a time for that perfect golden crust.
  • Use a wooden spoon to deglaze instead of metal, so you get all the flavorful residue without scratching your pan.
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