Valentina Ablaev
This chicken scampi recipe is going to be the home-cooked meal that will make you never want to choose to go out to eat again! This decadent pasta dish is in a flavorful scampi sauce with a variety of vegetables.
This Olive Garden Chicken scampi copycat recipe makes the perfect home-cooked version that is sure to wow a crowd.
A classic scampi sauce is packed with layers of flavor, infusing the dish with every bite. The dish is similar to a classic alfredo recipe but with a more intense flavor profile. This pasta is packed with colorful bell peppers that add a tender crunch, making the dish both visually appealing and delicious.
Ingredients You’ll Need for Creamy Chicken Scampi
- Pasta – we love angel hair pasta for this recipe.
- Dredge – a mix of flour and italian seasoning to give the chicken a crisp and seasoned exterior.
- Chicken tenders – tenderloins are the perfect protein for this pasta.
- Veggies – including bell peppers, red onion, and garlic, add great flavor and texture to the pasta.
- Sauce – for the sauce we used wine, butter, chicken broth and half and half.
Refer to the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and quantities.
What wine should I use?
Any unflavored, dry white wine will work for this scampi. Some great options are pinot grigio, chardonnay, or sauvignon blanc.
Scampi Variations
- Switch up the protein: Swap out the chicken for shrimp, or do both, like in our creamy shrimp and chicken scampi!
- Pasta options: Instead of angel hair, you can use spaghetti, fettuccine, or any of your other favorite pasta.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Chicken Scampi Pasta
- Cook pasta. Boil the pasta according to package instructions. Drain the pasta and set aside.
- Season chicken. In a large bowl, mix flour and seasoning. Beat the tenderloins to an even thickness and dredge in the flour.
- Cook chicken. In a large skillet, heat oil and sear the chicken on both sides for 2 minutes. Once the chicken is cooked, set aside and cover to keep warm.
- Sauté vegetables. Add more oil to the pan, and sauté bell peppers and sliced red onion. Sauté for a few minutes on medium-high heat until tender.
- Sauce. Add butter and garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant. Add white wine and chicken broth, then simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the half-and-half and seasoning, and cook for a few minutes.
- Combine. Return the chicken to the skillet along with the pasta. Stir and cook until warmed through. Serve, and enjoy!
Expert Tips:
- Don’t overcook the pasta: Boil the pasta to al dente to prevent the angel hair from overcooking.
- Make the perfect sauce: When cooking a buttery and rich sauce, such as a scampi sauce or a cheesy Alfredo sauce, the key is to use low heat. Simmer the sauce rather than boiling it, as boiling can cause the fat to separate and result in a gritty sauce.
Serving Suggestions
- Salad: Serve this classic pasta with a creamy caesar salad for the perfect classy meal.
- Bread: This creamy pasta pairs perfectly with a batch of buttery breadsticks. Our easy breadstick recipe makes the perfect appetizer, and when dipped in pasta sauce, it’s unbelievable!
Chicken Scampi FAQs
Chicken breast works great in this pasta recipe. We recommend slicing the chicken breast into half, creating thin cutlets.
Yes, you can use shrimp in place of chicken for this recipe to make a shrimp scampi.
This creamy chicken scampi sauce is delicious, but you can also make a classic scampi sauce without milk! Our garlic butter scampi sauce is a classic and delicious scampi sauce.
While wine adds an undeniable flavor to this scampi sauce, you can still make this pasta without it. Simply add more chicken broth instead.
Due to the rich and buttery sauce, this pasta isn’t ideal for making in advance. It is best when served fresh.
How to Reheat Scampi Leftovers:
Scampi is a buttery and rich sauce, and when refrigerated, the sauce may separate. Here’s the best way to store it, along with our pro tip for reheating the pasta.
- Storage. Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat. For the best leftovers, add the pasta to a skillet and warm up on medium heat. Add a splash of half-and-half and stir the pasta gently to prevent breaking the noodles. Garnish with parmesan cheese and stir in until melted. This simple step will help bind the sauce and make for the perfect leftovers.
- Freeze. We don’t recommend freezing this pasta, as it will become overcooked when reheated.
More Pasta Recipes
If you enjoyed this chicken scampi recipe, be sure to try our other easy pasta recipes; here are some of our favorites:
If you’ve tried this chicken scampi recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it turned out in the comments below – we appreciate your feedback!
Chicken Scampi Recipe
Ingredients
pasta-
- ½ tsp oil
- ½ tsp salt
- 8 oz angel hair pasta uncooked
chicken-
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper or to taste
- ½ tsp italian seasoning
- 1 lb chicken tenderloins
- 2 Tbsp oil sauteing chicken
vegetables and sauce-
- 2 Tbsp oil vegetables
- 1/2 green pepper sliced into thin strands
- 1/2 red pepper sliced into thin strands
- 1/2 yellow pepper sliced into thin strands
- 1/2 red onion sliced thin
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 3/4 cup white wine
- 1 1/3 cups chicken broth
- 2/3 cup half and half
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- ¼ tsp italian seasoning
- ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add ½ tsp of oil, ½ tsp of salt, and angel hair pasta. Cook the pasta to al dente, according to package instructions. Drain pasta and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix flour, salt, pepper, and italian seasoning. This will be the chicken dredging.
- Lightly beat the chicken tenderloins to an even thickness. Add the chicken into the dredging mix and coat evenly.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add the chicken tenders one at a time. Cook the chicken for 2 minutes per side, then remove it from the skillet and cover to keep warm.
- To the same pan, add more oil if needed. Add the sliced peppers and sliced red onion. Saute for 2 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
- Add butter and minced garlic, and sauté until fragrant.
- Pour in the wine and chicken broth, and bring to a gentle simmer. Lower the heat and cook for 5 minutes.
- Pour in half-and-half, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning, and bring to a simmer.
- Add the chicken tender back into the sauce and cook for another minute.
- Add the angel hair pasta to the sauce and mix lightly until the pasta is heated through.
- Garnish with shredded Parmesan cheese, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- Don’t overcook the pasta: When it comes to angel hair, the cooking process is very fast. Boil the pasta to al dente to prevent it from overcooking in the sauce later on.
- Don’t boil the sauce: When cooking a buttery and rich sauce, it is crucial not to boil the sauce, as this can cause the fat and water to separate, resulting in a gritty texture. When cooking the sauce, bring it to a light simmer and cook on low heat.
- Store leftovers: Place leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat pasta: Add pasta to a skillet and warm up over medium heat. After refrigerating, the pasta may separate. When reheating, we recommend adding a splash of half-and-half. Stir gently to revive the sauce.
