Chicken with Lemon Caper Sauce and Pasta

This is very close to Chicken Piccata; however, it’s not breaded and fried. That said, it’s full of lemony goodness and so much delicious flavor. I decided to serve with rotini pasta, but you could use spaghetti or linguini if you prefer. 

Ingredients: 

¼ cup flour 

¼ tsp. black pepper 

¼ tsp. garlic salt 

2 large chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise to make them thinner 

1 Tbls. Olive Oil 

1 Tbls. Butter 

8 ounce of pasta, cooked until done. Reserve some of the cooking liquid. (Rather than draining my pasta, I typically remove it from the boiling water using a stainless steel spider/strainer – and add the pasta directly to the sauce. The pasta water retains some of the starch and helps to thicken your sauce.) 

1 ½ cup chicken broth 

¼ cup dry white wine 

3 Tbls. Fresh lemon juice 

Clove of garlic, minced 

Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes 

2 Tbls. Capers, drained 

Additional 1 Tbls. Butter 

Parmesan Cheese and Fresh Parsley for garnish 

Directions:

Begin boiling your water for the pasta. 

Butterfly and cut the chicken breasts in half for four servings. 

Mix the flour, pepper and garlic salt in a dish/bowl for dredging the chicken. 

Heat a skillet over medium flame, add the olive oil and butter. 

Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture. Reserve the flour, as you will use a bit of it when making the sauce. 

Add the chicken to the skillet after the butter has melted. 

Cook the chicken on one side for 5 minutes. 

Add the pasta to the boiling water when you flip the chicken and cook chicken for an additional 5 minutes. 

Remove chicken from skillet and reserve on a plate, keeping it warm. 

Add the additional tablespoon of butter to the skillet, along with 1 tablespoon of the reserved flour mixture. 

Cook the butter and flour mixture for a minute or two, making a roux. 

Check your pasta, it is likely just about done. 

Add the lemon juice and wine to the skillet, scraping up any cooked bits from the skillet. 

Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. 

Slowly add the chicken broth to the skillet. Stir until the mixture begins to thicken. 

Add the capers at the last minute, heat through and turn off the flame. 

Remove approximately a ½ cup of the sauce to use as a topping for the chicken. 

Add the pasta directly to the remaining sauce in the skillet, cook until all liquid is absorbed. You can add a bit more wine and lemon juice if necessary – along with salt and pepper to taste. 

Serve the chicken on top of the pasta. Spoon some of the reserved sauce on top of each chicken breast. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.

Click here for printable recipe.