Learn how to make this EASY Chicken Scampi recipe at home with angel hair pasta in a garlic butter sauce with white wine and fresh lemon! (Or make it without wine and use chicken broth instead!)
Ingredients
For the Chicken
1 lb. Chicken breast, diced
Salt/Pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
3 Tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons salted butter
Pasta & Sauce
8 oz. angel hair pasta
6 Tablespoons salted butter, separated
5 cloves fresh garlic, minced
½ cup dry white wine, see notes
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ cup freshly diced tomatoes
¼ cup roughly chopped parsley
2 Tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
½ cup pasta water
½ cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded from a block
½ cup Asiago Cheese, shredded from a block
Salt/Pepper
Instructions
Before you begin: Measure out all ingredients so that they’re ready to go before you start, as this recipe goes quick! Time the boiling water so that it’s ready for the pasta at the end. It will only take about 4 minutes to cook the angel hair. Remember to reserve ½ cup of the pasta water.
Pat the chicken completely dry. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Add 1 tsp Italian seasoning and ½ tsp lemon pepper seasoning. Sprinkle with flour and toss to coat.
Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil and 2 Tbsp. butter over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden and cooked through. Remove and set aside, tent with foil to keep warm.
Decrease heat to medium and melt 1 Tbsp. butter in the same pan. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Carefully add the white wine and cook for 3 minutes or so, until reduced by half and no longer smells of alcohol. While it simmers, use a silicone spatula to clean the chicken remnants from the pot. This is called “fond” and will give the sauce more flavor.
Melt 4 Tbsp. butter in the pot. Add the cooked chicken, red pepper flakes, and chopped parsley. Toss to coat. Reduce heat to low. Swirl in 1 Tbsp. cold butter.
Boil the pasta and reserve 1/2 cup water.
Take a covered jar or Tupperware container and add ½ cup pasta water, lemon juice, Parmesan, and Asiago cheese. Cover and shake to combine.
Add the drained pasta to the skillet with the chicken and pour the pasta water mixture on top. Use kitchen tongs and toss to coat. Season with additional salt/pepper if desired and garnish with diced tomatoes.
Serve with garlic bread with cheese and a side of lemon wedges. Garnish with freshly grated cheese and extra parsley/red pepper flakes.
Notes
Pro Tips:
Shred the cheese from a block for superior flavor. Packaged cheese doesn’t taste as good or melt as well.
Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio are great dry wines to use for cooking. It doesn’t have to be super expensive but should be something you would want to drink.• If possible, use high-quality butter (not generic or a store brand) for this recipe such as Cabot or Land O’ Lakes• Use freshly minced garlic, the fresher the better. Garlic that isn’t fresh can turn blue when combined with acidic ingredients like white wine and lemon juice.• Fresh lemon juice is much more flavorful and ideal for this recipe (vs. bottled).
Nutrition
Calories: 497kcal, Carbohydrates: 34g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 97mg, Sodium: 486mg, Potassium: 454mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 713IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 229mg, Iron: 1mg