Description
Creamy chicken parmesan pasta blends Italian comfort with hearty home-style cooking, melding crispy chicken and rich marinara sauce over perfectly al dente noodles. Cheese-lovers and pasta enthusiasts will savor this irresistible meal that brings classic flavors to your dinner table.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken Ingredients:
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
- 0.5 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Seasoning:
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
- 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder
- 0.5 teaspoon dried oregano
- 0.5 teaspoon dried basil
Cooking Fat:
- 0.5 cup vegetable oil (for frying)
Pasta Components:
- 12 ounces (340 grams) penne or spaghetti pasta
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 0.5 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Garnish (Optional):
- Fresh basil or parsley
Instructions
- Craft thin chicken cutlets by slicing breasts horizontally and gently tenderizing with a meat mallet to ensure uniform thickness.
- Establish a three-station breading setup: flour, whisked eggs, and seasoned breadcrumb mixture with Parmesan, herbs, and spices.
- Meticulously coat each cutlet by dredging in flour, dipping in eggs, then thoroughly covering with seasoned breadcrumb mixture.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high temperature and fry chicken cutlets until achieving a golden-brown exterior, approximately 4-5 minutes per side.
- Simultaneously, boil salted water and cook pasta until reaching al dente consistency, then drain and reserve.
- Preheat oven to 375°F and prepare a baking dish by spreading a thin marinara sauce layer.
- Combine pasta with remaining marinara sauce, ensuring complete coating.
- Arrange crispy chicken cutlets atop the sauced pasta.
- Generously sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over the chicken and pasta.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese melts completely and develops a bubbly texture.
- Optional: Garnish with fresh basil or parsley before serving hot.
Notes
- Slice chicken breasts horizontally for uniform cooking and faster preparation, ensuring each piece is evenly cooked and tender.
- Create a crispy coating by patting chicken dry before breading, which helps breadcrumbs adhere better and prevents soggy texture.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan in the breading mixture for enhanced flavor complexity and a more authentic taste profile.
- Choose high-quality marinara sauce or make homemade sauce to elevate the overall dish’s taste and authenticity.
- For gluten-free option, substitute regular breadcrumbs with almond flour or gluten-free breadcrumbs and use cornstarch instead of wheat flour.
- Prevent pasta from becoming mushy by cooking it slightly under al dente, as it will continue cooking during the baking process.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 800
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 950 mg
- Fat: 40 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 24 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 70 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 45 g
- Cholesterol: 220 mg