Chicken Scampi Pasta
Ingredients:
12 oz spaghetti
1 1/2 lbs chicken tenders
1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp olive oil divided
6 Tbsp unsalted butter divided
3/4 cup dry white wine chardonnay
4 garlic cloves (1 Tbsp minced)
1 tsp lemon zest from 1 lemon
1/4 cup lemon juice from 2 lemons
1/3 cup parsley finely chopped
Parmesan freshly shredded 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.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 2 Tbsp salt. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water then drain the pasta and return pasta to the pot. Partially cover to keep warm.
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 minutes per side or until golden and cooked through to 165˚F on a thermometer. Remove to a plate. Add another Tbsp of oil and 1 Tbsp butter and sauté the second batch of chicken then transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.
Carefully add 3/4 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 4 Tbsp butter and stir to melt. Add garlic and simmer 30 seconds until fragrant. Remove from heat and add 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 tsp lemon zest, and 1/4 cup parsley. Stir to combine and season with 1/2 tsp salt or to taste.
Return chicken to the pan and turn to coat in 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.
Enjoy