A few years ago I went to visit one of my friends at her place of work which was a nearby restaurant.  The dish I happened to have ordered blew my socks off.  Due to how decadent and rich it was, I knew it wasn’t something I could have all the time, but I also knew I could make it because I had a feeling for my next dinner guests it would be perfect.  So I scoured the internet for the recipe, asked some questions and Voilà.

If you like a hint of lemon with a buttery cream sauce mixed with magically crunches of pancetta and earthy mushrooms on top of a tender piece of chicken, this is the dish for your next dinner party (or for dinner with the family).  Quite easy to make as long as each step is followed, feel free to enjoy your creation paired with a crisp glass of Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc and a side salad.

Scaloppini di Pollo

(servings: 10)

Ingredients:

Lemon Butter Sauce

• 1 cup lemon juice (fresh)
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup unsalted butter

Chicken & Pasta

• 8 (3 oz) chicken breasts – tenderized (or 14-16 tender strips)
• extra virgin olive oil and butter for sautéing chicken and mushrooms
• 3/4 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper, for dredging
• 6 ounces pancetta
• 12 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 12 ounces artichoke hearts, sliced
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1 pound cappellini pasta

Directions:

1. To make the sauce: Heat the lemon juice and white wine in a saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to a boil and reduce to 1/3.  Add cream and simmer until mixture thickens  (3-6 minutes).  Slowly add butter until completely incorporated.  Season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.  Remove from heat and keep warm.

2. To make chicken and pasta: Heat a small amount of oil and two tablespoons butter in a large skillet.  Dredge tenderized chicken in flour and sauté in pan, turning once, until brown and cooked through.  Remove chicken from pan and add pancetta to the pan and cook.  Once pancetta is cooked, add mushrooms, artichoke hearts and capers until mushrooms are softened and cooked.  Then add chicken back to the pan.  Turn off the heat or very low until you are ready to serve.

3. To serve:  Place cooked pasta on a plate.  Add half of butter sauce to chicken mixture and toss.  Taste and adjust, adding more sauce if needed (but keep a bit to drizzle on top).  Place chicken mixture over pasta.  Alternative: mix pasta and chicken sauce together and serve with butter sauce drizzled on top.

Key Things To Keep In Mind:

*I usually cut this recipe in half and have more than enough for 2-3 people.

*Feel free to substitute bacon for pancetta, but I do appreciate the soft crunch that pancetta provides.

*Tenderizing the chicken is key to a melt in your mouth bite.