Chicken piccata is one of those dishes that has a permanent place in my repertoire and ends up in frequent rotation. As a light, citrusy dish it’s a summertime favorite, but it really is good year round. Chicken breasts are dredged in flour and browned, then a quick veil of a sauce is made using the pan drippings, butter, lemon juice, parsley, and capers. This time I also added wine, with much success.

I always serve this with spaghetti. Sometimes I toss the spaghetti with the sauce and top with the chicken breast. Other times I add lemon juice, olive oil, and parsley separately to the pasta and bathe the chicken in the caper-lemon sauce. Either way, once they’re together on the plate all the flavors meld into one delicious, acidic, briny melody. It’s a light dish, but one with character. Adjust the amount of lemon juice, capers, and parsley to suit your taste. To make the dish kosher, simply omit the butter.

Chicken Picatta

Yield: 4 Servings

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound spaghetti
Olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
Flour
½ cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon butter
½ cup capers
¾ chopped parsley
Juice of 2 lemons
Salt and pepper

METHOD:
Cook spaghetti in a large pot of salted water until al dente. Drain and toss with olive oil to prevent from sticking. Set aside.

Dredge the chicken breasts in flour so well coated. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, flipping once, until cooked through and lightly browned on both sides. Do not crowd the pan; cook in batches if necessary. Transfer the chicken to a plate and squeeze a little lemon on.

Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Add butter, capers, a pinch of the chopped parsley and a splash of the lemon juice. Cook for a few minutes until reduced slightly. Add the pasta and toss. Add the remaining lemon juice and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Serve with the chicken breast, spooning extra sauce on top of the chicken. Garnish with parsley.