Chicken Piccata Pasta (Easy One-Pan)
Golden pan-seared chicken tossed with pasta in a bright lemon and caper sauce, seared and simmered in High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil and finished with a peppery raw drizzle. A 35-minute weeknight dinner that tastes like a trattoria classic.
Recipe Success Tips
Pound the chicken thin and even.
Slice each breast in half horizontally, then gently pound to about a quarter inch. Even cutlets cook fast and stay juicy instead of drying out at the thin edges while the center is still raw.
Dredge lightly, shake off the excess.
A thin coat of flour gives the chicken its golden crust and lightly thickens the sauce later. Tap off every loose bit so the oil stays clean and the sear turns deep gold, not gummy.
Cook with a fresh, peppery high-phenolic oil.
Reach for a fresh bottle of High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil for the sear and the sauce. Its balanced fruit stays smooth under the heat and gives the chicken a clean golden edge that neutral oils cannot match.
Save a mug of pasta water.
That starchy, salty water is what pulls the lemon, oil, and butter into a glossy sauce that clings to the pasta. Add it a splash at a time until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
Finish raw for the biggest flavor.
A thread of Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil over each bowl right before serving lands as a fresh, grassy, peppery note. Because it is never heated, that raw drizzle is how the most polyphenols and aroma reach the plate.
Taste before you add salt.
Capers, parmesan, and pasta water all bring salt of their own. Season at the very end so the dish tastes bright and balanced rather than sharp.
Ingredients
4
servings
- 3 tbsp High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved into cutlets
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging
- 12 oz linguine or spaghetti
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 3 tbsp capers, drained
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 3 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 tbsp Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for finishing
- to taste kosher salt and black pepper
Kitchen Tools You'll Need
Large skillet or saute pan
Large pot for pasta
Chef's knife
Cutting board
Shallow dredging dish
Tongs
How to Cook Chicken Piccata Pasta (Easy One-Pan)
PREP
1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally, then pound the cutlets to an even quarter-inch thickness and pat them dry. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
2
Spread the flour in a shallow dish. Dredge each cutlet, coating both sides, then tap off the excess so only a thin film remains.
COOK
3
Heat the High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Its balanced fruit stays smooth under the heat and gives the chicken a clean golden crust. Sear the cutlets in batches, about 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deeply golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
4
Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook to just shy of al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining.
5
Lower the heat to medium and add the shallot and garlic to the same skillet, stirring until fragrant and softened, about 2 minutes. Pour in the white wine and scrape up the golden bits from the bottom of the pan, letting it reduce by half.
6
Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, and capers, and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes to bring the sauce together. Swirl in the butter until it melts into a glossy sauce.
FINISH
7
Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss, loosening with reserved pasta water a splash at a time until the sauce clings to every strand. Stir in the parmesan and most of the parsley. Slice the chicken and fold it back in to warm through.
8
Divide among bowls and finish each with a raw drizzle of Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil for a fresh, grassy, peppery lift, then scatter the remaining parsley and an extra grating of parmesan on top. Serve right away.
Recipe Notes
This pasta is a full meal on its own, but a simple green salad with a sharp lemon vinaigrette keeps the whole plate bright. Warm, crusty bread is welcome for mopping up the last of the lemon-caper sauce.
For a lighter, brothier version, skip the flour dredge and simply pan-sear the chicken, then build the sauce as written. If you love the classic cutlet, try our lemon chicken piccata served without pasta, or lean into the noodles with our lemon chicken pasta. For a richer, silkier sauce, our creamy lemon pasta is the natural next step.
Sear the chicken and build the sauce with the High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, our balanced, smooth cooking oil that holds up beautifully to the pan. Save the bold, intensely peppery Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil for the raw finishing drizzle, where its fresh grassy bite is tasted directly and does the most work.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of broth or water to loosen the sauce, and add a fresh drizzle of olive oil before serving since the first one will have mellowed. Keep your olive oil bottles tightly capped away from heat and light to protect their flavor and freshness.
Nutrition Facts per Serving
Nutrition Facts
Serving size 1 bowl (about 1/4 recipe)
Calories
620
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g28%
Saturated Fat 7g35%
Trans Fat 0g
Unsaturated Fat 14g
Monounsaturated Fat 11g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 115mg38%
Sodium 640mg28%
Total Carbohydrate 62g23%
Dietary Fiber 3g11%
Total Sugars 3g
Includes 0g Added Sugars 0%
Protein 48g96%
Vitamin C 11mg12%
Calcium 180mg14%
Iron 3mg17%
Potassium 620mg13%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
The Best No-Cook Way to Get Olive Oil Benefits
Loved the bright, peppery finish of that raw olive oil drizzle? The Olivea Hydroxytyrosol Supplement is an easy way to get a daily dose of olive polyphenols, no cooking required, on the days a fresh bottle is not already on the table.
Olivea Hydroxytyrosol Supplement
$40.00
Add to Cart
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a one-pan spin on classic chicken piccata, where golden pan-seared chicken cutlets are tossed with pasta in the signature lemon, white wine, butter, and caper sauce. You get the tangy piccata flavor and a full pasta dinner in one bowl.
Long strands like linguine or spaghetti are traditional because they catch the light lemon-caper sauce, but short shapes like penne or rigatoni also work well. Cook the pasta to just shy of al dente so it finishes in the sauce.
Yes. Replace the white wine with an equal amount of chicken broth plus an extra squeeze of lemon. You will lose a little depth, but the dish stays bright and balanced.
Capers are small pickled flower buds that give piccata its briny, tangy pop. If you do not have them, chopped green olives or a splash of caper brine are the closest stand-ins.
Pound the cutlets to an even quarter inch, pat them dry, and sear over medium-high heat just until golden and cooked through. Thin, even cutlets cook fast and stay tender.
Cook with a fresh High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which is smooth and balanced under the heat and gives the chicken a clean golden crust. Finish each bowl with a raw drizzle of the bolder Ultra High Phenolic for a fresh, peppery lift.
It is a lighter take on restaurant pasta, built on lean chicken, fresh lemon, and an olive-oil sauce rather than heavy cream. Olive oil is the cornerstone fat of the Mediterranean diet and a source of monounsaturated fats and polyphenols.
It is best fresh, but leftovers keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently with a splash of broth to loosen the sauce, and add a fresh drizzle of olive oil before serving.
Yes. Use your favorite gluten-free pasta and swap the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free flour blend or rice flour to dredge the chicken. The sauce itself is naturally gluten-free.
A crisp green salad with a lemon vinaigrette and some warm crusty bread round it out perfectly. A glass of the same dry white wine used in the sauce is a natural pairing.
