Tag: Italian recipes

Chicken Piccata Perfection: Bringing Italian Flair to Your Dinner Table

Chicken piccata, with its tender chicken, tangy lemon sauce, and briny capers, is a beloved classic in Italian cuisine. In this recipe from Epicurious, we’ll walk you through how to create the perfect chicken piccata, complete with a flavorful sauce that’s ideal for drizzling over your favorite starches. Whether you’re cooking for a busy weeknight or hosting a special dinner, this dish is sure to impress with its simplicity and deliciousness.

Chicken piccata is a dish that perfectly balances savory, tangy, and briny flavors, making it a favorite among Italian food enthusiasts. This recipe stays true to tradition while adding a generous amount of sauce, perfect for spooning over mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta. Let’s dive into the details of crafting this delightful dish.

Ingredients:

  • 4 small skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 6-oz. each)
  • 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 3 Tbsp. coarsely chopped drained capers
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth or 1 cup water mixed with 1 tsp. chicken bouillon paste
  • 1 medium lemon
  • ¾ cup (94 g) all-purpose flour
  • 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 5 Tbsp. (or more) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • Chopped parsley (for serving)

Directions:

  1. Begin by halving 1 medium lemon crosswise. Juice one half to obtain about 2 tablespoons of juice. Thinly slice the remaining half, removing any seeds, and set aside the slices separately.
  2. Place ¾ cup of all-purpose flour in a shallow bowl. Take each of the 4 small skinless, boneless chicken breasts, about 6 ounces each, and place them between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using a rolling pin, pound the chicken breasts until they are approximately ¼ inch thick. Season the chicken with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, then dredge them in the flour, shaking off any excess. Place the coated chicken breasts on a plate.
  3. Heat 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in two batches, cook the chicken breasts until they are golden underneath, approximately 4 minutes. Flip them over and cook on the other side until nearly cooked through, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate.
  4. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil to the same skillet. Add the thinly sliced garlic cloves and coarsely chopped drained capers, cooking and stirring often until slightly softened, about 1-2 minutes.
  5. Pour in 1 cup of dry white wine and simmer, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the wine is almost completely reduced, approximately 5 minutes.
  6. Increase the heat to medium-high and add 1 cup of low-sodium chicken broth (or the water mixed with chicken bouillon paste), 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter (cut into small pieces), 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and more pepper to taste. Cook and stir often until the butter is melted and the sauce is well combined, about 3 minutes. Stir in the reserved lemon juice.
  7. Return the cooked chicken to the pan, spooning the sauce over the chicken, and cook until the chicken is completely cooked through, approximately 3 minutes. Add the lemon slices to the pan and then remove it from the heat. Just before serving, top the dish with chopped parsley for a burst of freshness.

Side Dish Suggestions:

Creamy mashed potatoes: The velvety texture of mashed potatoes pairs perfectly with the tangy sauce of chicken piccata.

Lemon herb rice: Cook fluffy white rice with a hint of lemon zest and fresh herbs like parsley or thyme for a fragrant side dish.

Buttered linguine: Toss al dente linguine with melted butter and a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese for a simple yet delicious accompaniment to your chicken piccata.

Chicken piccata is a delightful dish that brings together the vibrant flavors of lemon, capers, and tender chicken breasts. With its quick cook time and simple preparation, it’s a perfect option for both busy weeknights and special occasions.

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Six Pasta Recipes You Must Know

The tried and true champion of dinnertime is, predictably, the last-minute pasta dish, and if you can equip your mental cookbook arsenal with these traditional Italian pasta recipes from Martha Stewart, you’ll be the celebrated champion of the delicious, authentic, and classic pasta dish that wins over the entire dining room.

Now, you may be particularly familiar with how to cook up a plate of bolognese from scratch or you’re the type of shopper to pick up some seasoning, noodles, and a couple jars of sauce for a last-minute concoction. Either way, the following classic recipes should be known by every chef as they introduce variety and breadth to your cooking catalogue.

Pasta Carbonara

Let’s start small with “Old Reliable,” or Carbonara, a quick dinnertime staple that is made from 6 everyday ingredients.  Honestly, if you know how to boil water, you’re not too far away from the easily-accessible pasta recipe for carbonara, as you need only crisp some pancetta in a skillet and whisk together eggs and creme on the side while the pasta cooks in your expertly-boiled water. Once al dente, simply combine it all together, and add bacon or other pork product, such as guanciale for a truly italiana plate.

Cacio e Pepe

Keeping in line with the theme of easy preparation, a simple plate of pasta doesn’t necessarily have to be a Bolognese sauce or lasagna, because it honestly doesn’t get much simpler or back-to-basic than Cacio e Pepe. This pasta recipe hits your tongue in a delightful way, as it’s made with Grana Padano cheese, black pepper, olive oil, and just a touch of lemon. It’s the fantastically simple, completely irresistible, and quintessentially Roman dish that you’ve been craving to prepare, cook, and enjoy.

Single-Pan-Pasta

Hailing from the region of Puglia (or Apulia), Italy is this revolutionary cooking method of placing dried pasta in a skillet along with the other ingredients to gradually cook and infuse with its accompanying flavors. This ensures that your noodles get the most flavor and you don’t have to dirty half the dishes in your kitchen just to get an italian meal on the table. Top it all off with fresh basil and grated parmesan for an easy and clean-cooking supper.

Classic Lasagna

It’s truly a must-know recipe that has a variety of takes from different regions across Italy, Europe, and the world at large. This particular recipe showcases a hearty meat sauce made with ground beef and pork sausage, and that sauce is sandwiched between layers of noodles and a rich cheese filling. Additionally, if you’re looking for a little added variety, feel free to substitute the normal protein-laden faire with fresh greens and vegetables for a dish that is less filling and more fulfilling .

Penne alla Norma

Speaking of vegetables, try out this hearty vegetarian penne recipe that takes advantage of the natural flavors and textures of eggplant, tomato, and ricotta. This dish comes from the heart of Sicily, and it’s rumored to have been inspired by Sicilian composer, Vincenzo Bellini’s opera, “Norma.” This aesthetically-appealing dish pairs well with fresh basil sprinkled atop your dollop of ricotta cheese for a creamy consistency found with every stir.

Spaghetti with Sicilian Pesto

Jazz up your tired old spaghetti with pesto sauce, and this isn’t the usual Genoese pesto you may be all-too familiar with. This dish features a Sicilian take on pesto that uses toasted red pepper, fresh tomatoes, anchovies, capers, and golden raisins for a combination that is simply enlightened by its stacking of sweet, acidic, and savory flavors. The pignoli found in basil pesto are instead replaced with toasted almonds, though the Parmigiano is a constant across variants, making for a wonderfully flavorful dish.

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