Go Back
A close-up of creamy pasta topped with chopped herbs, spinach, diced tomatoes, and a rich white sauce, served in a white dish. The pasta is curly and the sauce covers the ingredients generously.

The BEST Marry Me Chicken

Melissa Jo
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 4 scallopini chicken breasts otherwise known as thinly sliced cutlets
  • 1 cup of fine flour; I use Wondra
  • seasoning for chicken and flour: 1 tsp. in the flour; & 1 tsp. on the chicken
  • Italian seasoning blend
  • garlic powder
  • smoked paprika
  • cracked black pepper
  • salt
  • 1 lb. of Fusilli pasta
  • 2 tbsps. of butter 1 tbsp. of olive oil, 1/2 tbsp. of vegetable oil
  • 4 oz. of diced uncured pancetta
  • 4 cloves of sliced garlic
  • 1 shallot sliced
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 4-6 oz. of white wine I use chardonnay
  • 2 cups of baby spinach roughly chopped
  • 4 oz. of freshly shredded parmesan cheese
  • 1.5 cups of heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup of pasta water more if needed
  • garnish: chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 tbsp. of butter and 2 tbsp. of freshly grated pecorino romano cheese for the fusilli pasta

Instructions
 

  • Start with patting the chicken dry of any moisture and make sure it's at room temperature before breading.
  • Season the chicken on both sides and season about 1 cup of Wondra flour and whisk.
  • Lightly dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour and shake of the excess and set aside.
  • Bring a large pot of water to boil. Salt the water and add the Fusilli pasta and cook until aldente. Remove about 1 cup of pasta water from the pot before draining.
  • In a pan with high sides, add the fats (butter, olive oil, and vegetable oil) at medium-medium high heat.
  • Add the lightly breaded chicken and brown on each side. Do NOT mess with the chicken (move it around). Let the chicken form a golden crust about 3-5 minutes then flip and do the other side. Set the chicken aside on a plate.
  • Remove about half or so of the accumulated oil from the pan and add the pancetta and sauté at medium heat until fat is rendered and pancetta is lightly golden.
  • Add the sliced garlic and shallot to the pan with salt & pepper and sauté until golden.
  • Deglaze the pan with white wine. Let it simmer a couple minutes to burn the alcohol out and loosen the delicious bits at the bottom of the pan.
  • Add the spinach. Sauté a few minutes.
  • Lower the heat to medium low or low and add the parmesan cheese. Sauté 30 seconds.
  • Add the heavy cream and pasta water and simmer at low until it thickens a bit (about 3-5 minutes)
  • Add the chicken back into the pan and the accumulated juices from the plate. Stir.
  • Drain the Fusilli and add to a serving bowl. Top with butter and Pecorino Romano cheese.
  • Pour the pan sauce over the pasta, then top with the chicken.
  • Garnish with fresh parsley and cracked black pepper.
  • Now go get married! Make it!

Notes

  • Fats: I use butter, olive oil, AND a drop of vegetable oil for browning the chicken! Olive oil & butter for flavor; and vegetable oil for the high smoke point. Perfection!
  • Flour: I use Wondra fine flour when lightly breading chicken. You can certainly use all purpose, but Wondra makes a gorgeous light crust on the chicken
  • You will need a pan with high sides. Here is mine: https://amzn.to/3HX0Cmc
  • Make sure the chicken is cut scallopini. If you can't find then simply butterfly the chicken breasts and pound very thin and even.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!