Chicken Piccata Rigi Toss

**not gluten free**

I don’t want to be so boring as to talk about the weather, but I can I just make a general statement and bring you in on a secret?  Kansas City weather this year is schizo.  I find myself in shorts one day then a winter coat the next.  

Trying to force Fall’s hand, I’d been cooking up chilis, soups, roasts, warm and hearty things.  There’s only so long we can pretend that the weather is cooperating with the calendar before our hand is forced to make something light.

As I was cleaning out my bookcase that houses all of our cookbooks, I ran across this recipe for Chicken Piccata Pasta Toss from Rachael Ray.  Knowing that the week was going to be crazy busy with a million things I thought it’d be the perfect quick dinner for me and The Husband.

The flavor of this dish cannot be beat.  It brings together all of the elements of a light but hearty dish.  The lemon flavor, which The Husband finds overpowering in most piccata recipes was perfect and the tart, slightly salty capers were the perfect addition.  Eat it while it’s hot, or go ahead and finish one of the million things on your to-do list and eat it at room temperature.  I wouldn’t know anything about that though… I never get distracted. Heh.

Chicken Piccata Rigi Toss
Rachael Ray

2 T olive oil
1 1/3 lb chicken breast tenders, cut into 1″ pieces
Salt & Pepper
1 1/2 T butter
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 shallots, chopped*
2 T flour
1/2 c white wine
1 lemon, juiced
1 c chicken broth or stock
3 T capers, drained
1/2 c flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 lb penne pasta, cooked to al dente (I used Rigatoni)
Chopped or snipped fresh chives, for garnish

Heat a deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Add a tablespoon of olive oil and the chicken to the pan.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Brown chicken until lightly golden all over, about 5 to 6 minutes.  Remove chicken from pan and return the skillet to the heat.  Reduce heat to medium.  Add another tablespoon olive oil and 1 T butter, the garlic and shallots* to the skillet.  Saute garlic and shallots 3 minutes.  Add flour and cook 2 minutes.  Whisk in wine and reduce liquid 1 minute.  Whisk lemon juice and broth into sauce.  Stir in capers and parsley.  When the liquid comes to a bubble, add remaining 1/2 T butter to the sauce to give it a little shine.  Add chicken back to the pan and heat through, 1 to 2 minutes.  Toss hot pasta with chicken and sauce and serve.  Adjust salt and pepper, to your taste.  Top with fresh snipped chives.