Chicken Picatta Pasta Toss

Both Joe and I enjoy chicken picatta, and we are firm believers that everything is better with pasta. So when I found this recipe for Chicken Picatta Pasta Toss on Rachael Ray's website I knew I had to try it. I was amazed at how quickly this came together - for some reason I expected it to take longer but the whole thing was done in less that 20 minutes! And it was very good. The sauce was tangy from the campers with a nice hint of lemon. I only made a 1/2 pound of pasta but kept the sauce amounts the same - I would double sauce if you are using a whole pound of pasta because I ended up with just the right amount for my 1/2 lb. I grilled the chicken in cooking spray instead of olive oil/butter to keep it light, and used only 1 tablespoon of margarine in the sauce. I served this with some roast broccoli and good ol' Pillsbury biscuits. This is a great weeknight meal!

Chicken Picatta Pasta Toss

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 1/3 pounds chicken breast tenders, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 shallots, chopped (I omitted)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white wine
1 lemon, juiced
1 cup chicken broth or stock
3 tablespoons capers, drained
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped (I omitted)
1 pound penne rigate pasta, cooked to al dente
Chopped or snipped chives, for garnish (I omitted)


Heat a deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of EVOO and the chicken to the pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken until lightly golden all over, about 5-6 minutes.Remove chicken from pan and return the skillet to the heat. Reduce heat to medium. Add another tablespoon EVOO and one tablespoon butter, the garlic and shallots to the skillet. Sauté garlic and shallots three minutes. Add flour and cook two minutes. Whisk in wine and reduce liquid one minute. Whisk lemon juice and broth into sauce. Stir in capers and parsley. When the liquid comes to a bubble, add remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter to the sauce to give it a little shine.Add chicken back to the pan and heat through, 1-2 minutes. Toss hot pasta with chicken and sauce and serve. Adjust salt and pepper, to your taste. Top with fresh snipped chives.