Let me start by saying this is not your average scampi pasta dish. First off, we have parmesan crusted chicken as the main star. Second, there are roasted brussels sprouts in the mix. And third, hello caramelized lemons! I'll admit this parmesan crusted chicken scampi pasta is a little more spring weather appropriate but who says we can't have pasta year-round? Lemony, bright, and oh so satisfying, this pasta will make you think that spring is just around the corner.
Parmesan Crusted Chicken Scampi Pasta
Ingredients
Parmesan crusted chicken
- 4 chicken cutlets
- salt and pepper
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs whisked
- 1 cup panko
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
- ¼ cup oil
Brussels sprouts
- 1 tbsp oil
- 3 cups Brussels sprouts halved
- 1 tsp garlic minced
- salt and pepper
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
Remaining ingredients
- 1 lb spaghetti
- ¼ cup butter divided
- ½ lemon thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- juice of ½ lemon
- ½ cup parmesan grated
- ¼ cup reserved pasta water
- extra parmesan for finishing
Instructions
- Prepare the parmesan crusted chicken. Season both sides of the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Put ½ cup flour in one shallow bowl, 2 whisked eggs in another, and 1 cup panko with ¼ cup parmesan in a third bowl. Dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off the excess. Dip the chicken in egg and coat in the panko and parmesan mix.
- Heat ¼ cup oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Cook the chicken until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side until the juices run clear. Remove the chicken from the pan and keep warm.
- Wipe the pan clean and heat 1 tbsp oil. Add the brussels sprouts and cook until charred, about 4-5 minutes. Add 1 tsp garlic and saute another minute. Season with salt, pepper, and ½ tsp red pepper flakes. Remove brussels sprouts from the pan and set them aside.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the spaghetti until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving ¼ cup of the cooking water.
- Meanwhile, melt 2 tbsp in the same pan and lay the lemon slices in an even layer. Cook until caramelized, about 2 minutes. Flip and brown on the other side. Add 1 tbsp garlic and saute until browned, about 30 seconds.
- Add ½ cup white wine and bring to a simmer. Continue to cook for 1 minute. Add 1 cup chicken stock and juice of ½ lemon and bring to a simmer. Continue to cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
- Add the spaghetti, Brussels sprouts, ¼ cup reserved pasta water, 1 cup parmesan, and 2 tbsp butter in the sauce. Toss to combine and bring to a simmer. Continue to cook until the pasta is well coated in the sauce, about 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Portion the pasta into 4 bowls and top with the parmesan crusted chicken. Finish with grated parmesan.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
Why make plain boring chicken when you can make parmesan crusted chicken? To make the parmesan crusted chicken, all you need are eggs, flour, panko, and parmesan. If you have fresh breadcrumbs on hand, I highly encourage you to use them. Combine the panko with parmesan and set up your breading station. Coat the chicken in the flour, dip it in the eggs, and finish in the parmesan panko mix.
Cook the chicken in a saute pan over medium heat; if the heat is too high, the chicken will burn before the inside is cooked, too low and the outside coating will get soggy.
In the same pan, cook the brussels sprouts. Asparagus, lemon, and pasta are three ingredients that go hand in hand, but what about brussels sprouts? Slightly charred brussels sprouts are equally delicious with pasta especially in this parmesan crusted chicken scampi pasta. To prepare the vegetables, simply heat oil in a saute pan and cook the halved sprouts until browned. Season the sprouts with salt, pepper, red chili flakes and set aside.
While the spaghetti is cooking, make the delicious lemon butter sauce. There is white wine in the sauce but if you're not a fan, substitute it with more chicken stock. Simmer the stock, lemon juice, white wine, and garlic for 5 minutes and season with salt and pepper.
Throw the cooked pasta into the sauce and toss it together with parmesan, reserved pasta water, the brussels sprouts, and more butter. Top with the parmesan crusted chicken and more parmesan and there you have it.
Everything about this parmesan crusted chicken scampi pasta is just right. From the charred brussels sprouts to the lemony pasta to the savory chicken, everything just works together. Delicious? I think so.
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