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Tonight, we’re preparing a take on chicken scarpariello, an Italian-American classic of chicken served in a delectable sweet pepper sauce. Verjus blanc—the juice of young wine grapes—balances a touch of butter in the sauce with its pleasant tang. We’re serving the chicken atop a bed of ditali pasta tossed with spinach and creamy mascarpone cheese.

Ethan Mick

with Ditali Pasta & Spinach

Sweet Pepper Chicken

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

Ditali Pasta

Spinach

Sweet Peppers

Garlic

All-Purpose Flour

Butter

Mascarpone Cheese

Verjus Blanc

Dried Oregano

Ingredients

Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. [Cut off and discard the pepper stems.](#) Halve the peppers lengthwise, then remove and discard the ribs and seeds. Thinly slice crosswise. [Peel](#) and roughly chop the garlic.

Prepare the ingredients:

In a large pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the **peppers** and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the **garlic** and **oregano**; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant. Transfer to a bowl. Set aside in a warm place. Wipe out the pan.

Cook the peppers:

While the peppers cook, add the **pasta** to the pot of boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally, 9 to 11 minutes, or until just shy of al dente (still slightly firm to the bite). Turn off the heat. Reserving **½ cup of the pasta cooking water**, drain thoroughly and return to the pot.

Cook the pasta:

While the pasta cooks, place the **flour** on a plate. Pat the **chicken** dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper on both sides. Thoroughly coat the seasoned chicken in the flour (tapping off any excess). In the same pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the coated chicken; cook 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until lightly browned.

Coat & brown the chicken:

Add the **cooked peppers**, **verjus**, and **½ cup of water** (be careful, as the liquid may splatter) to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, occasionally spooning the sauce over the chicken and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, 2 to 3 minutes, or until the chicken is coated and cooked through. Turn off the heat; add **half the butter**. Continue to spoon the sauce over the chicken until the butter has melted and the sauce is thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Make the sauce & finish the chicken:

Add the **spinach**, **remaining butter**, and **half** **the** **reserved pasta cooking** **water** to the pot of **cooked** **pasta**. Season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium-high, stirring vigorously, 1 to 2 minutes, or until thoroughly combined and the spinach has wilted. (If the sauce seems dry, gradually add the remaining pasta cooking water to achieve your desired consistency.) Turn off the heat; stir in the **mascarpone cheese**. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the finished pasta between 2 dishes. Top with the **finished chicken and sauce**. Enjoy!