Great Chicken Scampi

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Make restaurant-style Chicken Scampi in just 30 minutes! This easy dish is made with simple ingredients and is full of rich creamy flavor.

Servings6 servings
Calories660kcal
AuthorJohn Kanell

Ingredients

10 ounces angel hair pasta (280g)
1½ pounds chicken tenders (675g)
2 teaspoons salt divided
1 teaspoon ground black pepper divided
½ cup all-purpose flour (60g)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper thinly sliced
1 small red onion halved and thinly sliced
¾ cup dry white wine (180mL)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 garlic cloves minced
¾ cup heavy cream (180mL)
¾ cup grated parmesan plus more for serving (60g)
Chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted boiling water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water.
While the pasta is cooking, season the chicken tenders with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Place the flour in a large bowl and add the seasoned chicken. Toss to coat and dredge the chicken in flour.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Shake off any excess flour from the chicken and add the pieces to the skillet. Cook until browned on both sides and cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the skillet and place on a plate. Cover to keep warm. (Cook the chicken in batches if it doesn’t all fit in the pan at one time.)
Add the bell peppers and onion to the same skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned and tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.
Pour the wine into the skillet and deglaze, scraping off any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet, and let simmer for 2 minutes. Add the butter and stir until melted. Add the garlic and stir a few times until fragrant.
Stir in the cream, ¾ cup parmesan, the reserved ½ cup pasta water, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and simmer, stirring constantly, until the cheese melts. Add pasta and bell pepper mixture, tossing until the pasta is well coated in sauce. Served immediately topped with the chicken, and more parmesan and parsley, if desired.

Notes

Heavily salt the pasta water. I recommend adding 1-2 tablespoons of salt for every gallon of water. Salted pasta water adds significant flavor to the pasta.
Reserve some of the pasta water. Don’t skip this step! The starch in the pasta water helps thicken the sauce for a creamy and luxurious texture.
Cook the noodles al dente. Follow the cooking instructions on your pasta package to cook the noodles al dente, or until they are just firm. They will soften a bit further after being tossed in the creamy sauce.
Dry the chicken. Patting the chicken dry with paper towels before tossing them in the flour mixture removes excess moisture, and helps the flour stick better.
Optional: cook the chicken in batches. If all of your chicken doesn fit in the pan at once, cook it in batches to ensure even browning and cooking.

Nutrition