Chicken Scallopini with Peppers, Mushrooms and Tomatoes (Scallopine alla Pizzaiola)
from https://lidiasitaly.com/

Scallopini refers to the method for preparing the chicken. Scallopini comes from the Italian word “scaloppine,” which translates to “small scallops” but has now taken on the meaning of a piece of thinly sliced meat. Chicken scallopini can be cooked in a variety of sauces and flavors.

Most chicken scallopini recipes call for a lemon-caper sauce called Piccata, which makes the dish almost indistinguishable from Chicken Piccata. Piccata sauce is made with butter, lemon juice, white wine, chicken broth, and capers, often served with thinly sliced meat like chicken or veal that is sautéed in the sauce; the capers provide a distinct salty punch. But I used to order a sandwich that came on a crusty bread that was called Chicken Scallopini that came with peppers, mushrooms, and onions in a tomato sauce.

I have searched for several years for a recipe that tells you how to make it. I then came across this recipe from Lidia years later. Her recipe doesn’t include onions, but it does have garlic. You could always add some onions. I don’t know if this results in the same filling for the sandwich I used to eat, but it is the closest I have come to finding a recipe.

Serve w/ risotto rice or as a sandwich on crusty Italian bread.

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
8 garlic cloves, peeled
1 each: medium red and yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced ½-inch (about 1 ½ cups total)
2 cups assorted trimmed and thinly sliced mushrooms, such as shiitake, crimini and/or button
salt
2 tablespoons butter
freshly ground pepper
veal, chicken, turkey or pork scallopine for four
all-purpose flour
one 28-ounce can italian plum tomatoes (preferably san marzano), cored and crushed (about 3 cups)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
6 fresh basil leaves, torn into quarters, plus basil sprigs for decorating the plates, if you like

Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a heavy, wide skillet over medium heat. Whack 3 of the garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife and toss them into the pan. Cook, shaking the pan, until golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and peppers, season them lightly with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the peppers are softened, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of the remaining olive oil and the butter in a large, heavy skillet. Whack 3 of the garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife and add them to the pan. Cook, shaking the pan, until golden, about 2 minutes. While the garlic is browning, dredge the scallopine in flour to lightly coat both sides, tap off the excess and add as many scallopine to the pan as fit in a single layer. Cook until golden brown on the underside, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining scallopine.

Pour off the fat from the scallopine pan and pour in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Whack the remaining 2 garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife and toss them into the pan. Cook, shaking the pan, until golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and crushed red pepper and season lightly with salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the sauce is simmering. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Scrape the mushrooms and peppers into the tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Cook until the peppers are tender but not mushy, about 3 minutes. Stir in the basil, then tuck the scallopine into the sauce. Simmer until the scallopine is heated through and the sauce is lightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

Taste and season with salt and additional crushed red pepper if you like.