Description
Enjoy a flavorful Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Scampi made with tender chicken, colorful bell peppers, and angel hair pasta in a rich butter scampi sauce. This comforting dish is perfect for a weeknight dinner with an Italian-American touch.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 chicken tenderloins approximately 1.75 pounds
- ½ cup flour
- vegetable oil for frying
- ½ red bell pepper cut into strips
- ½ yellow bell pepper cut into strips
- ½ green bell pepper cut into strips
- ½ medium red onion sliced
- 12 ounces angel hair pasta
- salt to taste
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving if desired
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup yellow onion diced
- 2 Tablespoons garlic minced
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice approximately 1 large lemon
- 1 Tablespoon dried parsley
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ pound unsalted butter 8 tablespoons one stick
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the angel hair pasta. Cook until almost al dente, then reserve 1 cup of pasta water and drain the rest. Set pasta aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil. Coat each piece of chicken evenly with flour and a pinch of salt, shaking off excess flour.
- Fry the chicken pieces in the hot oil until they turn golden brown on each side, about 5 to 7 minutes per side. Add more oil if necessary and cook all chicken pieces. Remove and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 Tablespoons of butter. Add diced onions and minced garlic, cooking until softened but not browned, about 3 minutes.
- Pour in the white wine and allow it to simmer for 2 minutes while scraping any browned bits from the bottom.
- Stir in chicken stock, lemon juice, dried parsley, and red pepper flakes. Simmer the mixture for 5 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the remaining 8 Tablespoons of butter until fully incorporated.
- Using the pot or a new large skillet, heat 1 Tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the sliced bell peppers and red onion, cooking just until they start to soften, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the cooked pasta and the prepared scampi sauce to the peppers and onions. Gently toss everything together to combine without breaking the pasta. Season with salt and pepper to taste, adding reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
- Serve the pasta on a large platter or individual plates, topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired, and place the cooked chicken pieces on top.
Notes
- There are multiple parts to this recipe, but many can be prepared simultaneously
- Consider making the chicken and sauce ahead of time for a quicker meal
- Use a dry white wine such as chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, or pinot grigio and avoid sweet varieties
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American, Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 901kcal
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 279mg
- Fat: 35g
- Saturated Fat: 20g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g + 9g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 87g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 48g
- Cholesterol: 174mg