Chicken Scampi with Angel Hair Pasta

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound angel hair pasta
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken cutlets
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon, plus more lemon wedges for serving
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Directions

1. Start with the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then cook the angel hair following the package directions, or stop when it is al dente. Before you drain it, ladle out about a cup of the starchy cooking liquid and put it aside. Drain the noodles.
2. While the pasta cooks, prepare the chicken. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the butter and olive oil together. Blot the chicken so it is dry, then sprinkle both sides with the salt and several grinds of fresh black pepper. Lay the chicken in the pan and cook it about 2 minutes on each side, until browned and cooked through.
3. Move the chicken onto a cutting board so it can rest, but leave the cooking fat in the skillet. Stir the garlic and red pepper flakes into the pan and cook until you can smell the garlic, about 1 minute. Pour in the wine and lemon juice, loosen the browned bits from the pan as you stir, and let the mixture bubble until it has reduced by about half, 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Add the drained pasta to the skillet along with the lemon zest, parsley, and 1/2 cup of the pasta water you saved, then toss everything together. If the pasta looks dry or the sauce is not clinging well, mix in a little more of the reserved cooking water.
5. Slice the rested chicken and fold it into the pasta. Serve the scampi with extra lemon wedges for squeezing over the top.