Easy Chicken Piccata Recipe with Pasta
Craving for a homemade but restaurant-style dinner under 40 minutes? This easy chicken piccata recipe with pasta delivers buttery weeknight magic that is perfect for entry-level cooks.
Equipment
- Large pot (for pasta)
- Colander
- Large skillet or sauté pan (12-inch preferred)
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Meat mallet (or rolling pin)
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Shallow bowl/plate (for flour dredging)
- Tongs
- Whisk or wooden spoon
- Microplane or fine grater (for lemon zest, optional)
- Instant-read thermometer (optional but helpful)
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 Small boneless, skinless Chicken breasts (about 10–12 oz total)
- ⅓ cup All-purpose flour (for dredging)
- ½ tsp Kosher salt (plus more to taste)
- ¼ tsp Black pepper
- ½ tsp Garlic powder (optional)
Pasta
- 6 oz Spaghetti or linguine
- Salt for pasta water
Piccata Sauce
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 3 tbsp Unsalted butter, divided
- 2 Cloves garlic, minced
- ⅓ cup Chicken broth
- ¼ cup Dry white wine (optional; replace with more broth)
- 2 tbsp Capers, drained
- 1 Lemon (juice of 1 lemon; zest optional)
- 2 tbsp Chopped fresh Parsley
- 2–4 tbsp Grated Parmesan (optional, for serving)
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
Prepare the chicken cutlets
Place your chicken breasts on a cutting board and make thin cutlets. Try to make the slices even. It helps the chicken to cook quickly and stay juicy. It's the key instruction to follow for preparing chicken for a simple chicken piccata recipe with pasta.Dredge for a light, crisp sear
Take your shallow bowl and mix salt, flour, pepper, and garlic powder together. Now coat each cutlet gently and shake off excess. This thin flour layer helps the chicken get golden edges. It also slightly thickens the sauce later. That's why it feels like the best chicken piccata without extra effort.Start the pasta at the same time
Bring enough salted water to a boil and cook the pasta. Make sure you reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining. Now, drain and keep it aside. Doing this alongside is important to make the whole process quick and easy.Pan-sear the chicken
Take a large skillet, put olive oil and 1 tbsp butter to heat over medium-high heat. Now put the chicken and cook each side for 3-4 minutes until it is golden and cooked through. Make it 165° if you are using a thermometer. Then transfer it to a plate.Build the piccata sauce from scratch
Now it's time to lower the heat to medium, then add the remaining 2 tbsp butter and minced garlic. Stir it for 20-30 seconds until fragrant. Now put the broth and wine. If you are not using wine, put the alternative. Now stir in lemon juice and capers. Simmer for 2-3 minutes.Toss pasta + finish everything together
Add drained pasta to the skillet and toss the coat. If you think the sauce is tight, add reserved pasta water 1 tbsp at a time. Keep adding pasta water until it looks glossy and silky. Return chicken to the pan, spoon sauce over, and simmer for 1 minute to warm. Sprinkle parsley and parmesan. And this is your chicken piccata recipe with pasta from scratch is ready to serve. This is bright, buttery, and done fast.
Notes
If you want a smooth, restaurant-style sauce, don't forget to reserve pasta water. It helps emulsify the lemon, butter, and broth in a glossy coating. If you have a very large lemon, then give 3/4 of the juice, taste, then add more if needed. As you know, capers add a salty punch to every dish, so taste before adding extra salt at the end. Do you want to prepare this meal even quicker? Pound the chicken thin so it cooks faster and more evenly. If you are not using wine, all broth still makes a bright and excellent sauce. It's perfect to make your easy chicken piccata recipe with pasta comforting and satisfying.