Chicken piccata gets the full pasta treatment!
Cook the penne, make a quick butter sauce, and assemble it all together.
This easy lemony chicken dish will wow your kids!
Nick Evans
This recipe takes hold of that and introduces it in a slightly different way: Chicken Piccata!
Chopping up the chicken and adding it to penne also makes it very approachable to kids.
Its a recipe that has the best of chicken piccata, but in a slightly easier-to-serve preparation.
Nick Evans
What Is Chicken Piccata?
Chicken piccatais a classic Italian dish thats made by lightly pan-frying chicken cutlets in olive oil.
Rather than a big pile of capers, they just get the occasional caper.
Nick Evans
Storing and Reheating the Penne
This recipe makes a lot of food!
You will almost certainly have leftovers.
Here are some pointers.
Nick Evans
The Dad Add: Buttered Italian Breadcrumbs!
These buttery toasted breadcrumbs go well on almost any pasta dish and add some great texture.
I made this Dad Add for me, but my kids like it, also!
Nick Evans
The Kid Report Card
Rejoice!
Its all in the presentation!
Both of my kids ate big helpings of the pasta and chicken and even tried some capers.
Nick Evans
My four-year old really likes capers, so I know he is mine.
The verdict is out on the two-year old.
(Re: capers, not Re: Dad).
Nick Evans
So it got a four-out-of-four from the kids who tried it.
I think that pretty much means its a home run.
More Easy Kid-Friendly Chicken Recipes!
Nick Evans
Cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package instructions.
Scoop out and reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta-cooking water, and then drain the pasta.
In a small skillet, melt the butter over low heat.
Nick Evans
Add breadcrumbs and stir them well so they evenly soak up the butter.
Cook on low heat until the breadcrumbs start to brown, about 3 minutes.
Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
Nick Evans
Watch them closely, as they can go from perfect to burned quickly.
Mix together the flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl.
Whisk the eggs in a second shallow bowl.
Dip the chicken breasts first in the egg and then coat them with the flour mixture.
They should have a very light coating on them.
Let chicken rest on a plate.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
When the oil sizzles immediately when you sprinkle a little flour in it, it’s ready.
Check cooked chicken with a meat thermometer to check that it reaches an internal temperature of 165F.
Remove chicken from the skillet, and let it rest while you finish the dish.
Turn the heat down to medium-low, and add onions and sliced garlic.
Stir the veggies, cooking for a few minutes until they soften.
Add the cooked penne to the skillet.
Toss the penne with the lemon butter sauce.
Garnish with fresh parsley and capers.
Serve the penne while warm, topping each bowl with the crispy buttered Italian breadcrumbs.
This dish keeps great in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Otherwise, the chicken will get soggy.
