Wine and butter make this dish awesome. This Chicken Scampi pasta recipe is a twist on the classic shrimp scampi. Make this on a busy weeknight and it will feel like you have gone out to a nice Italian restaurant.
Ingredients
16 oz spaghetti
1-2 lbs chicken tenders
kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
3 Tbsp butter, divided
3/4 – 1 cup white wine
4 garlic cloves, (1 Tbsp minced)
1 tsp lemon zest, from 1 lemon
juice of half a lemon
1/3 cup parsley, finely chopped
Parmesan, freshly grated to serve
Instructions
chop, zest, juice, and mince all of your ingredients before you start cooking. Season chicken tenders with salt and pepper then dredge in flour.
Cook pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 2 Tbsp salt. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water then drain the pasta and return pasta to the pot. Partially cover to keep warm.
Sautee chicken: While pasta is cooking, cook the chicken. Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat. Add 1 Tbsp oil and swirl in 1 Tbsp butter. Sauté chicken 2-3 minutes per side or until golden and cooked through to 165˚F on a thermometer. Remove to a plate.
Make sauce: Carefully add 3/4 – 1 cup white wine. Return to medium/high heat and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Cook about 5 minutes or until reduced to about 1/4 cup liquid. Add 2 Tbsp butter and stir to melt. Add garlic and simmer 30 seconds until fragrant. Remove from heat and add lemon juice, 1 tsp lemon zest, and 1/4 cup parsley. Stir to combine and season with pepper to taste.
Combine: Return chicken to the pan and turn to coat in sauce. I added about a half cup of the starchy pasta water to make a bit more sauce. Transfer drained pasta to a large serving bowl then tilt the pan and spoon extra sauce over cooked spaghetti. Toss spaghetti lightly with sauce then top with chicken and drizzle remaining sauce over the pasta*. Serve garnished with more parsley and freshly shredded parmesan