I love chicken piccata, it’s absolutely delicious! This chicken piccata with penne pasta recipe is super simple and is prepared with kitchen staples, which makes it easy to prepare for a simple weeknight meal but can also be fancy enough to entertain guests. You can even prepare it to impress a loved one for a date night at home (which is what I used it for) hint, hint.
The addition of pasta to this already amazing recipe not only completes the meal but also gives us a perfect vehicle to soak up all the flavorful buttery & lemony sauce.
What is Piccata?
The origin of piccata is not fully known. Some claim that the dish was developed in Italy, while others claim it was first made in the United States. What is known for sure is that it was originally made with veal, as opposed to chicken. It’s said that Italian immigrants living in the United States came up with the chicken version that’s popular today.
Veal gave way to chicken but what hasn’t changed is the delicious, silky smooth, buttery, lemony sauce that makes piccata the flavorful dish that it is.
There are a ton of definitions of piccata out there and because of several different meanings, there is no simple translation from Italian to English.
Featured Ingredient – Capers
When capers won featured ingredient of the week, the obvious choice for a meal was chicken piccata Capers not only belong in piccata but also pair so well with the dish.
Capers are one of the most underutilized ingredients there are! Salty and briny, like a green olive but tangy like a lemon! It’s no wonder this ingredient pairs well with piccata. The brininess of the capers compliment and contrast the butteriness of the sauce. These green little unripened flower buds will tingle your taste buds in all kinds of culinary applications.
Check out the Featured Ingredients post all about Capers and all of the other Featured Ingredients, chosen by our readers, every single week.
Ingredient Notes
- I used gluten-free all-purpose flour and pasta for this recipe because my lovely fiance has a gluten sensitivity but you can use whatever you’d like! For the pasta, I recommend using either penne or rigatoni because they’re perfect for soaking up all that delicious, buttery sauce!
- You can make this dairy-free as well, by substituting the butter for a dairy-free option such as plant-based butter. I like the sauce thin, which is why I used a cup of butter, if you’d like a thicker sauce, use a little more… See recipe notes.
Recipe Notes
- * Items marked with an asterisk can be changed to your preference. The amount listed in the recipe is the amount I used, but I’m not you. If you love garlic, please, add more garlic. Do you want a thicker sauce? Add more butter. They’re your flavors, develop them how you like them.
- ** Oil should be heated to approximately 350 degrees but don’t worry if you don’t have. a thermometer. The smoke point of canola oil is approximately 375 degrees, which means, if it’s starting to smoke, it’s too hot. The easiest way to test the oil for proper cooking temperature is to slowly lower a small portion of the prepared and breaded piece of chicken into the oil. If it starts bubbling, it’s ready. If not, give it a few more minutes to heat up and try again.
- Nutrition facts are based on the original recipe. If ingredient amounts are changed, nutrition facts will not be valid.
Equipment
- 2 medium-sized sauce pans
- 2 small mixing bowls
- 1 pair of tongs
- 1 non-stick baking sheet
- 1 strainer
How to use this Recipe
The beauty of Flavor Ratios is that we blend flavor combinations according to OUR own preferences. All recipes you find on this site serve as a guide. Who am I, to limit the amount of garlic you put in your food? That would be wrong, and honestly, it’d keep me awake at night knowing your dinner could’ve been better! Read more.
Chicken Piccata with Penne Pasta
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
Description
Penne pasta topped with juicy and tender fried chicken, smothered in a silky, tangy and lemony, caper-filled, butter-rich sauce. This delicious chicken dinner will make your taste buds tingle.
Ingredients
Chicken
2 cups canola oil
2 boneless and skinless chicken breasts, butterflied and cut in half
1 pinch kosher salt
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
Sauce
1 cup unsalted butter*
1/2 yellow onion*, diced
3 garlic cloves*, minced
1 cup white cooking wine
1 lemon*
1/2 cup capers*
1 pinch salt*
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper*
Pasta
8 cups water
8 oz penne or rigatone pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
Garnish
4 parsley sprigs. chopped
2 lemon slices
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Start the sauce: In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until softened. Pour in the white wine and bring to a simmer. Reduce by half.
- Prepare the dredge: Add the canola oil to a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Crack the eggs into a small mixing bowl and whip with a whisk or fork. Add the flour to another small mixing bowl.
- Prepare the chicken: Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Dredge and cook the chicken: Coat each piece of chicken with flour, then egg wash, then flour. When the oil is ready** cook the chicken for about 2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Place the chicken on a non-stick baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
- Cook the pasta: Cook pasta according to the package directions and drain. Add olive oil and stir to coat.
- Finish the sauce: Add lemon, capers, salt, and pepper, to taste.
- Assemble: Place the pasta on the plate, followed by a piece of chicken, and top with sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon slices. Enjoy your flavorful creation!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Italian