Chicken piccata pasta, a dish that takes a modern classic dish with capers, garlic and lemon cooked in wine and combines it with mafaldine.
This dish is nice and easy to make and will come together in around 30 minutes, which includes the preparation.
Lemon, Garlic and Caper Pasta
The flavours in this recipe are unapologetically picked straight up from my veal scallopini and chicken piccata recipes.
But this chicken piccata pasta recipe is a little less "faffy", yet it keeps all of the flaovur and turns the dish into a perfect one-bowl "TV dinner".
Lemon, capers and wine give this recipe a really vibrant zingy flavour, and they are a combination that I adore. They also work exceptionally well with chicken.
The chicken is bashed out and floured before being fried in butter, which helps thicken the sauce, which then coats the pasta beautifully.
And it is all done and dusted in 30 minutes, and that includes the preparation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this with chicken breast?
Yes, this works equally well with chicken breast meat. Simply butterfly the breasts before bashing them flat, then continue as per my instructions.
Do I have to use wine?
No, you can omit the wine and double up on the stock. I would add a little more to increase the acidity to balance the dish.
Can I use an onion instead of a shallot?
Yes, shallots are a little milder and sweeter. But the main reason that I use them a lot is that they are small, which is important when cooking for two, but they are also much easier to cut into a very small dice.
If you are using onions, I would soften the onions for 2-3 minutes before adding the garlic.
Can I use a different type of pasta?
Yes, I use mafaldine because I think that it works great with a sauce like this. But any long, fairly broad pasta shape would work well.
Everything from tagliatelle to fettuccine and pappardelle would be great. You could even use something like farfalle or fusilli if that is more of your "thing".
Serving Suggestions
Bowls of pasta are so often quick and easy meals for me, and I try to keep my side dishes for them equally simple.
I would go down exactly the same route with this chicken piccata pasta.
Generally, I would opt for some garlic baguette or cheesy garlic bread.
I do have a fondness for this soft potato focaccia recipe by my friend Rosemary. I tend to make it in batches, freeze it and then reheat it in my air fryer.
Equipment Used
I only mention specific brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/stovetop.
- 28cm or 11" frying pan.
- 20 cm or 8" saucepan.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- Sieve or colander.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Citrus zester.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
Chicken Piccata Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 250 g Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs 9oz
- 1 Small-Medium Echalion or Banana Shallot 35g
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Lemon
- 1 Handful Fresh Parsley
- 50 g Capers ⅓ Cup
- 50 g Butter 3 tablespoon + 1 Tsp
- 75 ml Dry White Wine ⅓ Cup
- 75 ml Chicken Stock ⅓ Cup
- 200 g Dry Pasta (I use mafaldine)
- ¼ teaspoon Salt (plus extra to boil the pasta)
- 1-2 tablespoon Plain Flour
Instructions
- Place the chicken thighs on a chopping board, cover them with baking parchment and then bash them with a rolling pin to an even thickness (about 1cm or just under ½").
- Cut the shallot in half, peel it and then dice it as finely as you can.
- Peel the garlic cloves and then finely dice them.
- Zest the lemon.
- Finely chop the parsley.
- Just before you are ready to cook, season the chicken with the salt, then dredge it in flour.
- Heat a 28cm or 11" frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the butter. When it begins to foam, add the chicken and lightly brown for a couple of minutes on both sides, then remove and set aside.
- Add the shallots and garlic to the pan that you cooked the chicken in, and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- As soon as you start cooking the shallots and garlic, add the pasta to the boiling water.
- Add the white wine to the garlic and shallots and reduce by half.
- Add the capers, most of the chopped parsley (leaving a little for garnish), lemon zest and chicken stock. Stir and reduce the heat to low.
- Whilst the sauce and pasta is cooking finely slice the chicken chicken across the thigh, and add it to the sauce.
- Drain the pasta (reserving a little of the pasta water), add it to the chicken sauce, adding as much lemon juice as required to get a nice zingy sauce and a little of the pasta cooking water. Stir until you get a nice emulsion.
- Serve with the reserved parsley.