Want to revamp your pasta salad game? This version has lemon caper sauce. It’s tangy, savory and topped with fresh mozzarella and breadcrumbs!
Chicken Piccata is one of my all-time-favorite-dinners to make at home (please don’t judge my baby blogger skills in that post, I am updating photographs soon. The recipe is spot on though!). It’s a great option for light dinner over greens and is super satisfying. In today’s post, I made a hearty vegetarian-spin with pasta. This is a super refreshing side-dish for any cookout. Other sides we enjoy during the summer months include this Mango & Pomegranate Guacamole, my Anitpasto Salad with Homemade Dressing, and Irish Pub Cheese with Veggies!
WATCH ME MAKE THIS ON THE GRAM!
INGREDIENTS FOR THE LEMON CAPER SAUCE:
The combination of this recipe is so incredibly addicting. I’ve used it on chicken, now on pasta… do you use it for anything else? Rice, perhaps? Risotto? Oh, mind blown. I might do that next! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Spiral Pasta
- Butter
- Olive Oil
- Shallot
- Garlic
- Wine
- Capers
- Lemon Juice
- Mozzarella Pearls
- Panko Breadcrumbs
- Parmesan Cheese
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Italian Parsley
I personally like to serve this immediately after it’s made, so it’s still semi-warm. While you can serve it cold, the sauce poured over the pasta will semi-harden and have a different texture. Also, I recommend serving the parmesan breadcrumb mixture on the side, so it stay crunchy!
OTHER RECIPES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:
Making Summer Pasta Salad Live on WCCB News Rising (Video)
Roasted Acorn Squash Pasta with Browned Butter and Sausage
How to Upgrade Boxed Mac & Cheese (Video)
- 16 oz. Spiral Pasta (Rotini)
- 4 tbsp. Butter
- 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
- 2 Shallots, thinly sliced
- 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 2 cups Dry White Wine
- 4 tbsp. Capers
- Juice of 1 Lemon, or more to taste
- ¼ cup Heavy Cream
- 8 oz. Mozzarella Pearls
- 1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- ½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Red Pepper Flakes, to taste
- Italian Parsley, to taste
- Cook the pasta according to packaged directions for al dente.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until translucent. Then add garlic and sauté for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
- Deglaze pan with white wine and then add the capers and lemon juice. Simmer until the sauce has reduced and thickened. About 15 minutes.
- While the sauce cooks, add breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese to a sauté pan with a dab of butter. Constantly stir until breadcrumbs are browning. Remove and set aside.
- Add a splash of heavy cream and simmer for another 5 minutes. Pour over the cooked pasta into the lemon-caper sauce and toss until combined. Serve immediately with a sprinkle of breadcrumbs, red pepper flakes and Italian parsley.
NOTES ON THIS RECIPE:
- I like using a spiral pasta in this recipe, as the grooves soak in the sauce and capers. This honestly will work with any shaped pasta though, so use whatever you have on hand.
- I use a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio for this dish, as the dry white wine flavors compliment the capers so nicely. I do not recommend using a Chardonnay.
- What are non-pareil capers and why are they important? Capers are sold by size, so the smaller the caper… the more flavorful and delicate they will be. Non-pareil are the smallest, most flavorful. So if you substitute with another variety they can be though and you’ll need to use more for flavor.
PIN FOR LATER:
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