Creamy Chicken Scallopini with Tomato Sauce and Garlic Spaghetti Recipe
Chicken Scallopini is a flavorful Italian-inspired dish featuring tender cubed chicken breasts seared and simmered in a rich tomato and wine brown gravy sauce, served over al dente thin spaghetti. This recipe combines savory ingredients like garlic, onions, and a savory brown gravy mix to create a comforting pasta meal perfect for any weeknight dinner.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Coating
- 2 small boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons flour
Sauce
- 1 packet Brown Gravy Mix (0.87 oz) or homemade brown gravy
- 1 small yellow onion, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup dry white wine (or chicken broth as substitution)
- 8 oz tomato sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon butter (salted)
- 1–2 tablespoons olive oil
Pasta
- 3/4 lb thin spaghetti (or slightly less for saucier pasta)
Instructions
- Prepare gravy mixture: In a large measuring cup with a spout, combine the brown gravy packet and 1 cup of cold water until smooth. Stir in the tomato sauce and seasonings (Italian seasoning, parsley, mustard powder, and salt). Set aside.
- Prep chicken: Cut chicken breasts into evenly sized cubes. Season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with flour and toss to coat each piece well.
- Sear chicken: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cubed chicken and sear for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Toss and cook remaining sides until cooked through, about 3 more minutes. Remove chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Deglaze skillet: Turn heat off briefly. Add 1/4 cup of the wine. Set heat back to medium and use a silicone spatula to scrape and loosen any flavorful bits stuck to the bottom and sides of the skillet.
- Cook onions: Add butter and sliced onions to the skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until onions are very softened and nearly caramelized, about 20 minutes.
- Add garlic: Stir in the minced garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute until fragrant.
- Reduce wine: Pour in the remaining wine and let the liquid bubble gently to reduce for 5 minutes.
- Add gravy mixture and chicken: Pour the prepared gravy mixture into the skillet. Bring to a boil and cook for about 30 seconds until thickened, then reduce to a simmer. Return the chicken pieces to the skillet to warm and meld with the sauce.
- Cook pasta: Partially cover the skillet with the sauce and start boiling salted water (about 1/4 tbsp salt) for the spaghetti. Cook spaghetti to al dente according to package instructions, then drain.
- Combine and serve: Add the cooked spaghetti to the sauce and toss well to coat. Garnish with additional parsley if desired. Serve hot with optional Garlic Bread with Cheese for a complete meal.
Notes
- If you prefer, substitute chicken broth for the white wine in the sauce.
- You can make your own homemade brown gravy instead of using the packet.
- Using slightly less spaghetti will result in a saucier pasta dish.
- Cooking the onions low and slow develops rich caramelized flavor essential to the sauce.
- Partially covering the skillet while the chicken simmers helps infuse flavor and retain moisture.
Keywords: Chicken Scallopini, Italian chicken recipe, brown gravy chicken, pasta dinner, stovetop chicken scallopini, tomato sauce chicken pasta
