Chicken Piccata with Zucchini "Noodles"

I just got a new kitchen toy that I’m so excited about! I’ve wanted a spiral slicer for a while and I finally broke down and bought one. I was out shopping at a kitchen store one day and found one that was on sale and went for it. I’d seen a lot of interesting recipes using zucchini “noodles” and really wanted to give it a try. I thought it would be a great way to satisfy my love of pasta and still eat relatively healthy.

I have not been disappointed. I decided to make chicken piccata and it was so delicious with the zucchini. The sauce for the piccata is light, bright and tangy and the zucchini complimented it perfectly. You cook the zucchini for a very short time, really only long enough to warm it up, so it still retains a nice firm texture. Almost like al dente pasta. Since zucchini is so mild in flavor, it just takes on the flavors of the sauce.

The chicken piccata, itself, is a fairly easy dish to make. There’s not a lot of chopping involved and the cooking time is short. To further shorten the cooking time, I used chicken thighs, which cook up a lot quicker than chicken breasts, since they are generally thinner. Plus, I really like the flavor of chicken thighs. If you prefer chicken breasts, by all means, use them. You’ll just need to cook them for a little longer.

I definitely plan on experimenting more with my spiral slicer, so look for more recipes coming up!

Chicken Piccata with Zucchini “Noodles”

3 medium zucchini
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 1 1/2 lbs
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 lemons, one zested and juiced, the other thinly sliced
2 tbsp capers
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
additional salt and pepper

Cut stem end off zucchini and cut into noodles with a spiral slicer. Alternately, cut zucchini lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices and then cut each slice lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips. Set aside.

Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish.

Coat each chicken thigh with flour mixture, shaking off excess.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in large skillet over medium high heat.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Add 4 thighs to the skillet at a time and saute for 4 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. In between batches, add more olive oil to skillet, if necessary.

Place on an oven safe plate, cover with foil and keep warm in the oven.

Reduce heat to medium and add remaining tbsp olive oil and butter to the skillet.

Add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds, being careful not to burn (reduce heat further, if necessary).

Add wine to pan and let it come to a bubble. Stir to scrape up any brown bits and let reduce for a couple of minutes.

Stir in chicken stock, lemon juice, zest, capers and half of the parsley. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Cook for another couple of minutes.

Add zucchini noodles to skillet and toss to coat with the sauce. Let it cook for just a couple of minutes to soften slightly, you don’t want the zucchini to get mushy. Remove from pan and place on a serving platter.

Return chicken to pan, turning to coat with the sauce.

Place chicken on top of zucchini noodles. Top with lemon slices and pour sauce over the top. Sprinkle with remaining parsley and serve.