Chicken Piccata (kinda)

Alright, I have a confession to make. That’s what blogs are for, right? Confessions?

I haven’t been focusing on eating healthily lately. I get swept up with life and the busy things and sometimes I disregard the nutritional content of recipes. My waistline is suffering a little bit.

Hey, it happens to all of us! Don’t judge me!

Previously, I made a Tilapia Piccata that could easily be modified to be chicken piccata. But what if you don’t like capers? Or you really want something ridiculously rich and decadent. Or really, what if you just want pan seared chicken, pasta and some sort of delicious white wine cream sauce smothering all of it?

This is what you get. Oh yes. This is what you WANT to get!

The reality is that I was trying to clean out my pantry. I have so much pasta in my pantry. So. Much. Pasta. It really is ridiculous. I always load up on it when it’s on clearance at my local HEB. And recently I found the motherload of organic pastas for pennies. Seemingly, pasta breeds like rabbits in your pantry and now we’re eating pasta every night.

But yes, this recipe make eating pasta a very happy thing.

And yes, that is dried parsley. We’ve been over this.

Don’t judge me!

Recipe for Pioneer Woman’s Chicken Piccata

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 4

Ingredients
4 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (I used about 8 tenders)
Kosher Salt To Taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
4 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
5 Tablespoons Butter
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 cup Dry White Wine
¾ cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
2 whole Lemons
3/4 Cup Heavy Cream
Chopped Fresh Parsley
1 pound Angel Hair Pasta

Preparation Instructions
Have a pot of water simmering for the pasta.

If chicken breasts are overly thick, pound until slightly flattened. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides, then dredge in flour.

Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry two of the chicken breasts at one time until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes on each side; a little longer if breasts are thicker, a little shorter if breasts are thinner. Remove to a plate, then add the other 2 tablespoons each of butter and olive oil. Fry the other two breasts until golden, monitoring the oil/butter mixture to make sure it doesn’t burn. Decrease heat as needed!

After removing the chicken, have the heat on medium to medium-low. Pour in wine and chicken broth, and squeeze in the juice of two lemons. Whisk the sauce, scraping the bottom of the pan. Allow sauce to cook and bubble and thicken until reduced by about half. Sprinkle in a little salt and pepper as it’s cooking.

Reduce heat to low and pour in cream. Whisk together and allow to cook for a couple of minute until sauce thickens. Taste and adjust seasonings or other ingredients. Expect the sauce to have a real tang to it; counter it with a little more broth and cream if it’s too strong! Sprinkle in some chopped parsley and stir.

Right at the end, cook angel hair until al dente—do not overcook!

With tongs, place a medium-sized mound of pasta on a plate. Place a cooked chicken breast beside it, then spoon sauce over the chicken and the pasta. The sauce is strong, so no need to drown it. Sprinkle a little minced parsley over the top.