Streamlined Chicken Parmesan
- 1 jar spaghetti sauce
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (8 oz each). Halve horizontally. Or 4 trimmed chicken breasts (4 to 5 oz each)
- 1 large egg
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 1/2 - 1 cup dry bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup (3 oz) grated part-skim mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup (1/2 oz) grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for the table
- 8 oz spaghetti or linguine
1. Place chicken breasts smooth side down on large sheet of plastic wrap. Cover with second sheet of plastic wrap and pound gently to 1/4 inch thickness.
2. Bring 2 to 3 quarts of water to boil in a large soup kettle. Beat egg and a heaping 1/4 teaspoon in a small pie plate or other shallow dish until completely broken up. Mix bread crumbs, a heaping teaspoon of salt, and a grind or two of pepper in another small pie plate or shallow baking dish.
3. Preheat broiler. Working with one at a time, on both sides of each cutlet in the beaten egg, then the bread crumb mixture. Set cutlets on large rack set over a jelly-roll pan.
4. Add 2 tsps salt and spaghetti to the boiling water.
5. While pasta is cooking, heat oil over medium high heat in 12 inch skillet. When oil starts to shimmer, add cutlets and saute until golden brown on each side, about 5 to 6 minutes total. Wash and dry wire rack and return to jelly-roll pan. Transfer cutlets to wire rack and top each with equal portions of mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Place pan of cutlets 4 to 5 inches from heat source and boil until cheese melts and is spotty brown, about 3 minutes. Drain spaghetti.
6. Transfer a chicken cutlet and a portion of spaghetti to each of four plates. Spoon 1 or 2 tablespoons of sauce over part of each cutlet, then sauce the spaghetti as desired. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan passed separately.
2. Bring 2 to 3 quarts of water to boil in a large soup kettle. Beat egg and a heaping 1/4 teaspoon in a small pie plate or other shallow dish until completely broken up. Mix bread crumbs, a heaping teaspoon of salt, and a grind or two of pepper in another small pie plate or shallow baking dish.
3. Preheat broiler. Working with one at a time, on both sides of each cutlet in the beaten egg, then the bread crumb mixture. Set cutlets on large rack set over a jelly-roll pan.
4. Add 2 tsps salt and spaghetti to the boiling water.
5. While pasta is cooking, heat oil over medium high heat in 12 inch skillet. When oil starts to shimmer, add cutlets and saute until golden brown on each side, about 5 to 6 minutes total. Wash and dry wire rack and return to jelly-roll pan. Transfer cutlets to wire rack and top each with equal portions of mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Place pan of cutlets 4 to 5 inches from heat source and boil until cheese melts and is spotty brown, about 3 minutes. Drain spaghetti.
6. Transfer a chicken cutlet and a portion of spaghetti to each of four plates. Spoon 1 or 2 tablespoons of sauce over part of each cutlet, then sauce the spaghetti as desired. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan passed separately.
Submitted by Apr 1, 2010
15 min
30 min
45 min