Giada De Laurentiis' Chicken Scallopine Is as Fancy As Weeknight Dining Gets, Thanks to a Secret Ingredient

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Is there anything more classic than a weeknight chicken dinner? Quick-cooking, lean chicken breasts are a favorite for many families, because they’re nutritous, sure, but also because they’re versatile enough to be featured in dishes from around the globe. But if there’s one place where we know the chicken is going to be delicious, it’s Italy. Giada’s Italy author Giada De Laurentiis agrees, and her creamy chicken scallopine, which gets its golden color from a pinch of saffron, is no exception.

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You can leave that jar of gravy in your pantry, because De Laurentiis’ quick and flavorful saffron cream sauce is almost just as easy to use, and so much more interesting. Saffron, the stamen threads of crocus flowers, has a unique flavor. A little goes a long way toward livening up a meal, and the golden color it lends to this dish helps your weeknight dinner feel fancy.

Clarkson Potter.

To start, De Laurentiis simply cooks thinly sliced chicken cutlets on both sides in a skillet until done. Then, she uses the same pan to make the sauce. She sautées aromatic shallots and garlic, then deglazes the pan with wine. Chicken broth and saffron are simmered in the pan, then cream, salt, and pepper are added. You can tweak the ingredients to your taste, and De Laurentiis says you can even leave out the saffron if you don’t have any on hand.

Zaran.

The result? Juicy, tender chicken breast scallopine, draped in a lusciously creamy saffron sauce that clings to each bite. Serve with a peppery green salad to cut through the richness of the sauce, or double down and serve with your favorite pasta so you can get every last bit of creamy saffron goodness off your plate with each twirl of your pasta fork.

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