I love that this dish is sophisticated enough to make for a dinner party and also easy enough to prepare for a quick mid-week meal. You can serve it on its own or as a main dish paired with simple sides. For more Italian pasta recipes, try my shrimp scampi, manicotti recipe, and baked rigatoni recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Pasta – I recommend using thin angel hair pasta because the delicate shape and light texture mix well with the sauce. Chicken – chicken tenders are best for their smaller size. You can easily place them right on top of the pasta when you serve! If you don’t have chicken tenders, you can also cut boneless chicken breasts into narrow strips. Flour – coating the chicken in all-purpose flour adds a delicate crust to the chicken when cooked in the pan. Vegetables – a combination of red onion, green, yellow, and red bell peppers add a pop of color and a sweet and savory flavor. White Wine – use a dry white wine like Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, or Sauvignon Blanc. Alternatively, you can swap 1:1 with chicken broth if you prefer not to use alcohol. Heavy Cream – also known as heavy whipping cream, this adds a rich, creamy flavor and texture to the base of the sauce. Alternatively, you can substitute half-and-half. Parmesan Cheese – use freshly grated parmesan from the block instead of using storebought for the creamiest sauce.
How to Make Chicken Scampi
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water to use later.
- While the pasta is cooking, season the chicken tenders with salt and pepper.
- Place the flour in a large bowl and add the seasoned chicken. Toss to coat both sides and dredge the chicken in flour.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Shake off any excess flour from the chicken, then add the pieces to the skillet. Cook until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Move the chicken to a plate, and cover to keep warm.
- Add the bell peppers and onion to the same skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned and tender, for about 5 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Pour the wine into the skillet and deglaze, or scrape off any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet using a wooden spoon or spatula. Let simmer for about 2 minutes.
- Add the butter and stir until melted. Add the garlic and stir a few times until fragrant. Stir in the cream, parmesan, the reserved pasta water, salt, and black pepper, and simmer, stirring constantly, until the cheese melts.
- Add the cooked pasta and bell pepper mixture, tossing with tongs until the pasta is well coated in the sauce. Serve immediately topped with the cooked chicken, and more parmesan and fresh parsley if desired.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
Heavily salt the pasta water. I recommend adding 1-2 tablespoons of salt for every gallon of water. Salted pasta water adds significant flavor to the pasta. Reserve some of the pasta water. Don’t skip this step! The starch in the pasta water helps thicken the sauce for a creamy and luxurious texture. Cook the noodles al dente. Follow the cooking instructions on your pasta package to cook the noodles al dente, or until they are just firm. They will soften a bit further after being tossed in the creamy sauce. Dry the chicken. Patting the chicken dry with paper towels before tossing them in the flour mixture removes excess moisture, and helps the flour stick better. Optional: cook the chicken in batches. If all of your chicken doesn fit in the pan at once, cook it in batches to ensure even browning and cooking.
If you’ve tried this Chicken Scampi recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
