Quick Chicken Piccata Pasta (Printable Version)

Tender chicken with lemon and capers atop al dente pasta for a bright, tangy meal in 30 minutes.

# What You'll 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 (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 (optional)

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 horizontally to create four thin cutlets. Season both sides with salt and black pepper. 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. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil.
04 - In the same skillet, sauté minced garlic for 30 seconds. Deglaze with white wine, scraping browned bits from the pan. Add lemon juice, capers, and chicken broth, then simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until slightly reduced.
05 - Lower heat and whisk in 2 tablespoons butter until melted and the sauce is glossy. Return chicken to the skillet and spoon sauce over the cutlets.
06 - Add drained pasta to the skillet and toss gently to coat in sauce. Add reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a silky consistency.
07 - Plate pasta with chicken on top. Spoon additional sauce over and garnish with chopped parsley and lemon slices.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It tastes like restaurant-quality food but comes together faster than most weeknight dinners.
  • The bright, lemony sauce is naturally light yet feels completely satisfying.
  • One skillet means minimal cleanup, which honestly might be the best part.
02 -
  • Don't skip the pasta water—that starchy liquid is what transforms a sauce from thin to silky and helps it cling to the noodles.
  • Thin your chicken cutlets evenly so they cook at the same rate; uneven pieces mean some parts stay rubbery while others dry out.
  • Toast that garlic for exactly thirty seconds, not a second more, or bitterness will haunt the entire sauce.
03 -
  • Reserve your pasta water before draining—it's liquid gold for bringing a sauce together at the end.
  • If you mess up the garlic timing and it starts to brown, ditch it and start fresh; burnt garlic will ruin the entire sauce and it's worth the few seconds to fix it now.
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