Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Scrumptious Chicken Scampi

Being on a budget, I'm always looking for ways to re-create my favorite restaurant dishes at home. I recently made a remake of Olive Garden's Chicken Scampi & it was certainly as satisfying as eating out, but also easy on my pocket. The combination of sweet peppers with the lemony, white wine sauce is savory, but also gorgeous over the lightly sauced pasta & breaded chicken. The best thing about this version of chicken scampi is the simplicity of preparation & ingredients. You won't need much to end up with more than enough for this summertime feast!

To enjoy you'll need the following ingredients-- 1 bell pepper, 1 red pepper, 1 yellow pepper, 1 small red onion, 2-3 cloves of garlic, 3 cups of white wine, 1 lemon(juiced), 2 tbsp. of butter, 10 oz. of angel hair pasta, 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of bread crumbs, 1 egg, 1/2 cup of milk, 1 lb. of chicken breast (pounded into thin pieces), 1/3 cup of olive oil & salt & pepper.

To make, start by chopping the peppers & onion into 1/3 in. slices & finely chop the garlic. Set the peppers & garlic aside. Mix the egg & milk together to make an egg wash, & in a separate bowl mix together the flour & breadcrumbs. Dredge the chicken in the egg wash & then into the flour mixture to coat the chicken. (Remember all you'll need is a light breading, so don't over do it). Heat the oil in a skillet to medium-high heat. Add the chicken when the oil is ready. Let the chicken brown & cook through (about 5 minutes on each side). While the chicken is cooking start the pasta preparation. Once the chicken is cooked thoroughly, set it aside, & start on your peppers & onions. Add 4 tbsp. of oil to a saute pan on medium heat. Once the oil has heated, add the peppers & onions. Cook the peppers for approx. 10 minutes & then add the garlic. Once the garlic has cooked in a bit, add the white wine. Let the wine cook with the peppers & onion for 15 minutes. Lastly add the lemon juice, butter, & salt & pepper. By then then pasta should be ready & drained. Plate the pasta, add some peppers & wine sauce, then top with the chicken. (Shredded parmesan on top is a perfect addition.)

You may think it's complicated to make a resturant style meal at home, but it's much easier than it seems. To round out your meal you could always pick up some garlic breadsticks & salad mix to make your experience even more familiar. I believe Olive Garden sells their italian dressing in small bottles, which can make re-creating your resturant experience at home even better! Good luck on your next adventure in the kitchen even though I know you won't need it. :)