Why You’ll Love This this Lemon Chicken Piccata Pasta
This lemon chicken piccata pasta brings together tender chicken cutlets, earthy mushrooms, and bright citrusy flavors in one gorgeous skillet dinner that’ll make your weeknight feel fancy without the fuss.
The sauce is what dreams are made of – a silky blend of white wine, chicken broth, and fresh lemon juice that clings to every strand of angel hair pasta like it was meant to be there.
Plus, you get to feel like a real chef when you deglaze that pan with wine, which is basically just a fancy way of saying you’re scraping up all the good bits while adding booze to your dinner.
Ingredients List
You’ll need a handful of simple ingredients that work together like a symphony to create this restaurant-quality dish right in your own kitchen.
- 16 ounces whole wheat angel hair pasta
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, divided
- 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1 lb chicken cutlet, trimmed
- 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 (10 ounce) package mushrooms, sliced
- 5 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
The beauty of this ingredient list is how it sneaks in some healthy swaps without sacrificing flavor:
- Whole wheat pasta gives you extra fiber and nutrients compared to regular pasta.
- Reduced-sodium chicken broth keeps the salt in check while still delivering that rich, savory base.
- Olive oil provides heart-healthy fats instead of butter.
- Fresh herbs and lemon juice pack tons of flavor without adding calories.
- The mushrooms bulk up the dish with vitamins and that meaty umami taste we all crave.
Step by Step Directions
This classic Italian-American dish comes together in about 30 minutes with perfectly balanced flavors of lemon, garlic, and capers.
- Prepare the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add pasta and cook until just tender (4-6 minutes or according to package directions), then drain and rinse.
- Make the flour mixture: Whisk 5 teaspoons flour with chicken broth in a small bowl until smooth and set aside.
- Prepare the chicken: Place remaining flour in a shallow dish, season chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper, then dredge both sides in flour.
- Cook the chicken: Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, add chicken and cook 2-3 minutes per side until browned and no longer pink in the middle, then transfer to a plate and keep warm.
- Sauté the mushrooms: Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in the same pan over medium-high heat, add mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes until they release juices and begin to brown, then transfer to a plate.
- Build the sauce: Add garlic and wine to the pan, cook until reduced by half (1-2 minutes), then stir in the broth-flour mixture, lemon juice, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Finish the sauce: Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until thickened (about 5 minutes), then stir in parsley, capers, and reserved mushrooms.
- Combine and serve: Reserve 1/2 cup of mushroom sauce, toss pasta with remaining sauce in the pan, then serve topped with chicken and the reserved sauce.
For the best results, use professional stainless steel cookware that provides even heat distribution and superior temperature control throughout the cooking process.
Substitutions and Variations
- Herb variations: Fresh thyme or oregano can step in for parsley, and if you’re feeling fancy, a handful of fresh basil at the end adds a lovely twist.
- Caper alternatives: Green olives chopped up work in a pinch, or you could use pickled capers if brined ones are all you can find – they’re just a bit saltier.
- Make it dairy-rich: A splash of heavy cream or a pat of butter stirred in at the end turns this into an even more indulgent version, because sometimes we deserve nice things.
Additional Things to Serve With This Dish
This pasta is basically a complete meal on its own, but sometimes you want to make dinner feel a little more special, you know?
- Simple green salad – Something crisp with a lemon vinaigrette keeps things light and echoes those bright piccata flavors without competing for attention.
- Garlic bread or crusty rolls – Because to be frank, we’re going to want something to soak up every last drop of that lemony sauce, and good bread never met a pasta dish it didn’t love.
- Roasted asparagus or green beans – Quick-roasted vegetables add color and a nice textural contrast to all that tender pasta and chicken.
- Caesar salad – The anchovy notes play surprisingly well with the capers, plus you get that satisfying crunch factor.
- Steamed broccoli with lemon – Keeps the citrus theme going strong, and it’s one of those vegetables that actually tastes better when it’s dressed simply.
Cooking Tips & Tricks (Chef’s Notes)
Getting this dish just right comes down to a few key moves that’ll save you from the most common piccata pitfalls.
- Don’t skip the flour dredging step – I know it seems fussy, but that light coating is what creates the golden crust and helps thicken your sauce naturally.
- Keep your chicken cutlets thin – We’re talking quarter-inch thick here, because thick pieces won’t cook evenly and you’ll end up with rubbery edges or raw centers.
- Let the wine reduce properly – This isn’t the time to rush things, you want that alcohol to cook off and the flavors to concentrate, which takes a solid minute or two of actual bubbling.
- Save some pasta water – Even though this recipe doesn’t call for it, grab a cup before you drain, because if your sauce gets too thick, that starchy water is liquid gold for loosening things up.
- Rinse those capers – Trust me on this one, they’re packed in enough salt to make your eyes water, and a quick rinse keeps them from overpowering the delicate lemon flavors.
- Don’t overcook the mushrooms – They should be golden and slightly caramelized, not sad and soggy, so resist the urge to stir them constantly.
Nutritional Facts
This hearty chicken piccata pasta delivers a well-balanced meal with lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and beneficial nutrients from the fresh ingredients.
- Calories: Approximately 520 per serving (serves 4)
- Protein: 38 grams from chicken cutlets and whole wheat pasta
- Carbohydrates: 62 grams, primarily from whole wheat angel hair pasta
- Fat: 8 grams, mainly from heart-healthy olive oil
- Fiber: 7 grams from whole wheat pasta and mushrooms
- Sodium: 680 mg (reduced from traditional recipes thanks to low-sodium broth)
- Vitamin C: 15% daily value from fresh lemon juice and parsley
- Iron: 20% daily value from whole wheat pasta and chicken
- Potassium: 850 mg from mushrooms, chicken, and reduced-sodium broth
- Selenium: 35% daily value from mushrooms and chicken
- B-vitamins: Significant amounts of niacin, B6, and riboflavin from chicken and whole wheat pasta
- Antioxidants: Provided by garlic, parsley, and capers
Fun “Did You Know?”
Did you know that chicken piccata actually originated in Italy, but the pasta version we cherish today is purely an American invention?
I find it fascinating that traditional piccata was served without pasta, focusing solely on the lemon-caper sauce. The word “piccata” comes from the Italian word “piccato,” meaning “larded” or “pounded thin.”
Italian-American immigrants created the pasta combination that we recognize today.
Another interesting fact: capers aren’t actually vegetables—they’re flower buds from the caper bush! The tangy, briny flavor develops through salt-curing, making them perfect for cutting through rich, buttery sauces like our piccata.
