Chicken Piccata

I don't really like chicken in my pasta but this recipe is the ultimate exception. I love using super thin chicken breasts so that the sauce is easily absorbed throughout each piece and it's less meaty than a giant thick chicken breast.  Pro tip, whenever I have enough time and want to take things to the next level, I'll soak the chicken breasts in a salt water brine for a couple hours and add a few fresh lemon slices to the brine too - it makes the chicken way more tender. (Brine ratio is always 1tbsp salt: 1 cup water.)

This is a big recipe and I used a whole pound of pasta. If you want to make less, I wouldn't change anything except cooking less pieces of chicken breast and less pasta, you'll just end up with a little more sauce which is never a bad thing. PS - If you're trying to cut carbs you can make the chicken without any breading or pasta and just eat it with the buttery lemon sauce!

What you need: 

• 8  thin boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 3 tbsp butter (I always use salted butter)
• 1/3 cup chardonnay for part one
• 1/4 cup chardonnay for part two 
• 3-4 lemons - 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice and then lemon slices for garnishing
• 2-3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 3 tbsp capers 

What to do:

1. If you can't get your hands on thin sliced chicken breasts, that's fine! Just place regular chicken breasts between two sheets of wax paper and flatten them with a large pan or a heavy rolling pin until they're about 1/4 inch thick.
2. Next, rinse the chicken breasts off with a little water so that the flour mixture sticks a little better. (You could coat them in egg too but water is quicker and less messy!
3. Combine the flour, garlic powder, salt and black pepper in a small bowl. (Sometimes I add a little Italian seasoning into the breading if I want to switch things up!) Lightly coat each piece of chicken and set each one on a piece of wax paper. Let the chicken sit for 5 minutes so that the flour really clings to the meat.
4. Cook the garlic in the olive oil in a skillet until fragrant, about two minutes. Next, add in the chicken breasts and  cook for 6 minutes on the first side.
5. Flip the chicken and cover a few pieces with fresh lemon slices. Add in 1/3 cup white wine, two tbsp of butter, 1/4 cup lemon juice and the capers. Cover with a lid and let cook for an additional 6-8 minutes until the chicken starts to turn golden brown.
6. Remove the chicken from the pan and set on a plate for a few minutes while you mix the pasta into the sauce.
7. Use a whisk to scrape up any flour thats stuck to the bottom of the pan and mix that around with the rest of the butter, lemon juice, and 1/4 more cup of white wine. 
8. Toss the pasta in the sauce and top with chicken and the fresh parsley before serving.