Chicken Piccata with Authentic Italian Garlic and Butter Pasta
Piccata di Pollo con Pasta All'aglio
Submitted By: Taz

Chicken Piccata:
Ingredients:

4 Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts - butterflied and pounded to ¼ inch thick
½ Cup All Purpose Flour
¼ Cup Olive Oil
6 Tbs Unsalted Butter
½ Cup Dry White Wine - can substitute chicken stock if desired
¼ Cup Brined Capers - drained
Juice of 2 Lemons
Zest of 1 Lemon
Kosher Salt to taste
Fresh Ground Black Pepper to taste
Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley - small chopped for garnish

Preparation:
  1. Heat the olive oil and 2 Tbs of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering
  2. While the oil/butter is heating, season both sides of the butterflied and flattened chicken with salt and pepper to taste and dredge in flour making sure all sides are well coated - Shake off excess
  3. As soon as the oil is hot, place the coated chicken in the skillet (DO NOT CROWD THE PAN - Just cook 1-2 at a time) and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes until golden brown - Flip and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes until golden brown and cooked through - Transfer to a plate and loosely tent with foil (you can place in a warm oven until ready to plate to keep them warm)
  4. Add 1 Tbs of butter between each fry and cook the remaining chicken pieces in the same manner, removing the chicken to the plate with the others
  5. Once all of the chicken has been cooked and removed from the skillet, add the wine/chicken stock and half of the lemon juice to the skillet and using a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, gently scrape up the fond from the bottom - Add the lemon zest and the capers and thoroughly combine - Bring to a simmer and cook (stirring frequently) until the sauce is reduced by about half
  6. Whisk in the remaining butter, adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper to taste
  7. Serve the chicken with the sauce poured over the top each drizzled with ¼ of the juice from the remaining lemon - Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired

Pasta All'aglio:
Ingredients:

1 lb Dried Pasta such as: Spaghetti, Linguine, Bucatini, Malfada, or Tagliatelle
8 Tbs Butter
6 cloves Fresh Garlic - minced fine
16 Cups (4 quarts / 1 Gallon) Water
1 ½ Tbs Kosher Salt
-OPTIONAL-
¼ Cup Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese - grated

Preparation:
  1. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot over high heat
  2. Once a boil has been achieved, add the salt and stir until fully dissolved
  3. Add the pasta and allow to cook until al dente (8-10) minutes
  4. As soon as the pasta is cooked, transfer ½ cup of the pasta water to a small bowl and set aside until needed - Drain the pasta and set aside until needed
  5. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan or skillet over medium heat until foaming
  6. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant (apx 45 seconds)
  7. Add the cooked and drained pasta - Gently stir and toss until pasta is thoroughly coated
  8. Add the reserved ½ Cup pasta water and thoroughly combine until emulsified into a glossy, coating sauce - Remove from heat
  9. IF USING: Stir in the grated parmigiano-reggiano until thoroughly combined
  10. Transfer to serving plate(s) and garnish with a bit of chopped parsley if desired - Serve hot as part of any Italian meal