Description
This copycat olive garden chicken scampi brings restaurant-quality flavors right to your dinner table with tender chicken, garlic butter sauce, and a splash of white wine that you can have ready in about thirty minutes. Serving it over pasta makes for a satisfying meal that tastes like you spent hours cooking when really it comes together quickly and easily.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein and Pasta:
- 1.5 pounds chicken breast
- 1 pound linguine pasta
Cooking Liquids and Fats:
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Seasonings and Aromatics:
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Flatten your 1.5 pounds of chicken breast to an even 1/2-inch thickness with a meat mallet, then sprinkle both sides with 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes until the surface shimmers.
- Place your chicken in the hot skillet and cook for 5-6 minutes on each side until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F, then move it to a clean plate.
- Reduce heat to medium and add 4 tablespoons butter to the same skillet, letting it melt completely.
- Mince 4 cloves garlic and add them to your butter along with 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, cooking for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour 1 cup white wine into the skillet and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits stuck to the bottom, then let it simmer for 2 minutes.
- Add 1 cup chicken broth to your skillet and bring everything to a gentle simmer for 3 minutes to let the flavors combine.
- Stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1/4 cup lemon juice, mixing gently until your sauce becomes creamy and smooth.
- Return your cooked chicken to the skillet and let it warm through in the sauce for 2-3 minutes.
- While your chicken simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and cook 1 pound linguine for 8-10 minutes according to the package directions, then drain it well.
- Divide your cooked pasta among serving bowls and top each portion with your chicken and sauce.
- Finish each bowl with 1 tablespoon fresh parsley and 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Pound your chicken breasts to an even thickness so they cook at the same rate and stay tender rather than drying out on the edges.
- Don’t skip deglazing the pan with wine after cooking the chicken, as those browned bits add deep flavor to your sauce that you can’t get any other way.
- Stir the cream and lemon juice gently to keep the sauce smooth and prevent it from breaking or becoming grainy.
- If your sauce seems too thick, thin it with a splash of pasta water or chicken broth to reach the consistency that works best for coating your linguine.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-28 minutes
- Category: Sautéed Chicken
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 663 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 407 mg
- Fat: 27 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 52 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 46 g
- Cholesterol: 124 mg