Chicken Piccata Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 pound penne pasta
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into cutlets about 3/4-inch thick
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 small white onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup capers
• 1/4 cup fresh minced parsley
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Set a large pot of well-salted water to boil, then add the pasta. After 8 to 10 minutes, it should be al dente; use the package timing if yours differs. Before you drain it, scoop out about 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta and set it aside.
2. Over low heat, melt the butter in a small skillet. Stir in the breadcrumbs until they are evenly coated. Cook them gently until they begin to brown, about 3 minutes, stirring now and then so they do not scorch. Watch closely, because breadcrumbs move from golden to burned very quickly.
3. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl. In a second shallow bowl, beat the eggs. The chicken goes first into the egg, then through the flour mixture, just enough to leave a very light coating. Set the coated chicken on a plate to rest.
4. Set a large skillet over medium heat and warm the olive oil. When a pinch of flour sizzles the moment it hits the oil, the pan is ready. Place the chicken pieces in the skillet and cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side, 8 to 10 minutes total. Use a meat thermometer to check that the center reaches 165 degrees F. Transfer the chicken out of the skillet and leave it to rest while you finish everything else.
5. Carefully discard the oil from the skillet until about 2 tablespoons remain, then add the 2 tablespoons butter. Lower the heat to medium-low, then add the onions and sliced garlic. Cook for a few minutes, stirring, until the vegetables soften. Pour in the chicken stock and lemon juice, using a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits from the skillet.
6. Slide the cooked penne into the skillet and toss it through the lemon butter sauce. If the skillet looks dry, use the pasta water you saved, up to the reserved 1/2 cup, adding only enough to moisten the penne again. Once the chicken is a little cooler, chop it into big chunks and fold it back into the penne mixture. Finish with fresh parsley and capers.
7. Serve while the penne is warm, with the crisp buttered Italian breadcrumbs spooned over each bowl. Leftovers are fine refrigerated for 3 to 4 days. When you know some will be saved, store the chicken separately from the pasta; mixed together, the coating will get soggy. Warm the chicken in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 8 minutes, then chop it and add it to the reheated penne pasta.