Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 Degrees.  Spray a baking sheet and set aside.

Sauce:  on the stove, over Medium heat, add your sauce to a pot.  Once it starts to bubble, turn heat to low and cover with a lid.  You can cook the sauce the entire time you are prepping and cooking the rest of the meal.   If making sauce homemade then leave yourself more time so that you can simmer the sauce for several hours.  If making homemade, this is great to make in advance (day before or even several days ahead) and then just reheat.  *See link below to check out my homemade sauce.

Prep Chicken:  Cut chicken in half and then butterfly open to cut in 1/2 again.  1 Piece of chicken should give you about 3-4 pieces if your chicken breasts are larger.  Using plastic wrap or a plastic bag, place the chicken inside and using the flat side of a meat mallet lightly pound out the chicken on both sides.  You want the chicken to be approx. 1/2 inch thick.  Repeat until all chicken is thinned out.

Breading Station:  Setup bowls to coat the chicken:

• First bowl:  All-Purpose Flour
• Second bowl:  Eggs; whisk the eggs together and season with S&P
• Third Bowl:  Mix together the Italian breadcrumbs, Panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese

Start by dredging the chicken into the flour, shaking off any excess.  Then dip the chicken into the egg and then coat with the breadcrumb mixture.  Repeat until all pieces are coated.  If you run low on flour, egg or breadcrumb bowls just fill with a little more of your ingredients.

Cooking the Chicken:  On the stove, heat a large skillet or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.  Add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and then add a few pieces of the chicken (don’t overcrowd the pan); you can do multiple batches.  Cook for about 2 minutes per side; you just want a nice golden crust to form on the chicken.  Transfer the chicken to the baking sheet.  Repeat until all chicken is browned.  Place a spoonful of your sauce on each piece of chicken and spread to cover most of the chicken.  Add a slice of mozzarella cheese on each.  Bake in oven for approx 12-15 minutes or until done.  Cooking time will vary depending on how thick the chicken is and also depends on how long you cooked on the stove.  It should read an internal temp of 165 degrees.

Cook the pasta:  while the chicken is baking, cook your pasta according to the directions on the package.  Time it so that the pasta will be done about the same time as your chicken.

To Plate:  place some of your pasta onto the dish.  Add some of your sauce to the pasta (you can also toss all your pasta into the sauce first to evenly coat the pasta and then plate it).  Top with a piece of the chicken.  Garnish with some fresh parsley or basil and a sprinkle of the Parmesan or Parmesano-Reggiano Cheese.  Serve with a nice slice of Garlic Bread and enjoy!

Mangia! Enjoy!