CrustyCrab
Recipes

ItalianBoneless, skinless chicken breast

Chicken Piccata over Fettuccine

Thin, flour-dredged chicken cutlets seared in cast iron with a lemon, caper and white wine butter sauce, tossed with fettuccine.

Calories
680kcal
Protein
43g
Carbs
68g
Fat
24g
Total, 35 min active
40min
Servings
6

Nutrition is per serving.

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.9 lb)
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1½ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • ¾ tsp black pepper
  • 3 tbsp olive oil

Sauce

  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup plus 2 tbsp dry white wine, or chicken stock
  • 1 cup plus 2 tbsp chicken stock
  • ½ cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
  • 4½ tbsp capers, drained
  • 3 tbsp chopped parsley

Pasta

  • 18 oz fettuccine
  • Salt, for the pasta water

Steps

  1. Boil the pasta. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the fettuccine to al dente. Reserve ¾ cup pasta water, then drain. Time it to finish as the sauce comes together.
  2. Prep the chicken. Halve each breast horizontally into 2 thin cutlets and pound to an even ¼ in. Pat dry, season with the salt and pepper, then dredge in flour, shaking off the excess.
  3. Sear. Heat the olive oil and 1½ tbsp of the butter in a cast iron skillet over medium-high. Sear the cutlets 3–4 minutes per side, until golden and cooked through (165°F). Work in batches without crowding. Set aside.
  4. Build the sauce. Lower the heat to medium. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. Pour in the wine and stock, scraping up the browned bits, and simmer 3–4 minutes to reduce by about half.
  5. Finish the sauce. Stir in the lemon juice and capers. Off the heat, swirl in the remaining 4½ tbsp butter until glossy. Taste for salt and stir in the parsley.
  6. Toss and serve. Toss the fettuccine with the sauce in the empty pasta pot, adding splashes of pasta water to coat. Top with the chicken and finish with more parsley and a squeeze of lemon.

Notes

  • Pound the cutlets thin and even so they cook fast and stay tender.
  • Finishing butter off the heat lets the sauce emulsify instead of breaking.
  • Wine: a dry white such as sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio works best; stock is a fine alcohol-free swap.
  • At high altitude (around 5,000 ft): start the pasta a little earlier. Water boils cooler, so give it the full package time and taste for doneness.