Gabriella's Chicken Pamigiana

By AzWench

Ingredients

• 6 (5-ounce) boneless and skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup dry Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the dish
• 3 1/2 cups The Quickie Tomato Sauce (below)
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded fresh mozzarella cheese (freeze the cheese for 1 hour to firm before shredding)
• 1 1/2 cup (2 ounces) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
• 1 pound angel hair pasta
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley, for garnish

Preparation

Step 1

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a 15x10-inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat.

One at a time, place half a chicken breast between two plastic storage bags. Pound with the flat side of a meat pounder or a rolling pin until the meat is about 1/2-inch thick. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper.

Place the flour in a shallow bowl. In a second shallow bowl, beat the eggs with 2 tablespoons of water. Place the breadcrumbs in a third bowl. Place a platter next to the breadcrumbs.

One at a time, coat the chicken with flour, shaking off the excess flour. Dip in the beaten egg mixture to coat, letting the excess egg drip back into the dish. Now roll in the breadcrumbs. Place on platter. Let the breaded chicken stand for 10 minutes to set the coating.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. In batches, add the chicken to the skillet and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to the prepared baking dish.
Pour the tomato sauce around the chicken in the baking dish. Sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmigiano cheeses over the chicken. Bake until the cheese melts, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, just before serving, add the pasta to the water and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Drain well.
Transfer the pasta to six deep bowls. Top each with equal amounts of the sauce and a chicken breast half. Sprinkle with the parsley. Serve hot, with extra grated Parmigiano cheese to pass.

Skinny Variation: Don't use the flour, eggs, or breadcrumbs, and do not bread the chicken. Saute the chicken in a nonstick skillet over medium heat without any oil until browned on both sides and the chicken feels firm when pressed in the center, about 6 minutes. Transfer to the baking dish, and add the tomato sauce. Sprinkle each chicken breast half with 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and omit the mozzarella.